Enchantress of the Day and Night
by Kneazle
Summary: AU: In a world where witches and warlocks battle over slavery rights, where no sex is seen as an equal, a precious few gather to change the races' views before the war between the two turn something that could be the beginning or end of an era.
1. Enchantress of the Day and Night preface

History, Information and Background on _Enchantress of the Day and Night_

Kneazle

D/C: All characters belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastics, etc. K.A. Applegate's _EverWorld_, _Fern Gully: the Last Rainforest_ and _Enchantress of the Stars_ by Sylvia Louise Engdahl and mostly my odd dreams take some ideas, also from "Disney's Atlantis", _Sweep_ by Cate Tiernan, and _Circle of Magic_ by Tamora Pierce. Most information that is for the covens is based on Wicca, _Sweep_, _The Dragon's Tapestry, The Prism Moon _and_ The Taker's Key _by Martine Bates, _Circle of Three_ by Isobel Bird, and most clan information is from _Sweep_, _Young Wizards Series_ by Diane Duane, and _Daughters of the Moon_ by Lynne Ewing. I made up all history and locations. Information I use can be found at the following:

http://www.bibliomania.com/bibliomania-static/index.html, www.wiccan.com and http://www.feri.com/frand/Wicca4.html

History of the world: Gaea 

            In Gaea, what the world is now called, there are two main races: the witches and the warlocks. There are many other races, of course, ranging from dwarves, elves, unicorns and other beasts. However, there are also humans. Witches and warlocks became the dominating species through mutation when the world had been experimenting with radioactive wastes and materials, back when humans were the dominating race. 

            Thousands of years passed, making it in human years close to the year 4000 BC. Though witches and warlocks did not know what year it was anymore, they created a new calendar and way to know the time. They had resorted back on sundials and months became the four seasons for harvesting, planting et cetera. 

            During these years, the world evolved and changed, making new species sprout and others die out. Extinct species were not extinct anymore as somehow they came back, embryonic into a more advanced form of its previous self. There was now Dodo birds, black tigers, three-horned orangutans and more. Though nothing was as remarkable as the evolution of dragons, unicorns, griffins and merpeople. 

            Countries broke apart, reshaped and collided together for a new form of Gaea. There were now nine great continents, but our story only revolves around two: the Marsh Lands and the Mystical Lands. However, the nine are titled: Avecaut, The Marsh Lands, Anirteson, The Mystical Lands, Ella Island, The Gray Island, Dunes of Grecta, Land of Neka, and Jaxxia. 

History of the world: Talamanca Woods 

            Talamanca is a small, island-like terrain with only one thin strip of terra firma that are marshes, connecting the Talamanca Woods to the Marsh Land. The Talamancaian woods were some of the oldest woods in the world, but they were also where the most stable economy could be. Bordering in all directions water, the soil was perfect the more inland one went for growth. Mountains to the East protected the Woods from hurricanes and torrential weather, making the climate warm and tropical.

            The woods themselves were of a mixed forest, with deciduous and coniferous trees around. From berry bushes, banana trees, coffee beans to apple trees, the Talamancaian Woods were the idealist location for a settlement. Thus, the Talamancaian Clan settled and grew there. 

            The Talamancaian Clan is one of the oldest clans in warlock history, coming from lands in the South. They landed on the Talamanca soil, and marked it their own. They created their settlement close to the west side of the Ocean of Ino, but far enough inland as not to be boggled down by ill weather. They rested on the river Morria, which lead to the Morria Lake, which was in the middle of the Talamancaian Woods. However, they never ventured over the ridge of mountains, unaware of just what was on the other side. 

            There, over that ridge, was where the Wycliffe Coven had settled. An all-witch coven, they were calm and peaceful, content on living off what nature provided them. They made no move to go over or around the mountains that semi-circled around them. On that East bank, they received the hurricanes and torrential weather, but learned the seasons and lived off the sea. They were a fishing community, happy in their small landmass. 

            Their location was more like the weather of our New York City, Toronto, Buffalo, Maine, London, and Dublin. They had seasonal weather: winter was cold and brought much rain and slush; spring brought slightly warm weather where they would being to dig once the land wasn't frozen; summer brought warm air but the sea gave a cool breeze every day; and fall brought on the chilly weather that was perfect for harvesting. They were all unaware of what tropics were on the other side.

History of the World: The Continents 

            Though the Poweeke Mountains and Belluci Desert were on the other terrain of Gaea that Talamanca was connected to, it plays a part in this story.

            The Poweeke Mountains ran from the Belluci Bay on in a straight line until they reach the edge of west end of the Marsh lands. On the east side of the land, there are a grouping of lakes, titled the Lakes of Mist, as there is always some fog or mist on the ground, hiding and covering whatever be in that area. Rogues are to be rumored to live there. _Species living in area: witches and warlocks_

            The Poweeke Mountains continue on underwater west until on land again, in Avecaut. That is a mountainous and desolate country, with only a few main settlements. _Species living in area: Humans, dwarves and some magical_

            Between the Western Ocean and Ocean of Ino lies Anirteson. That land is large, consisting of forests and elves. However, there is the Cavern of Echoes, resting deep in the southern part of the country. There are many colonies on Anirteson, all of which are resting on the ocean. _Species living in area: humans  _

            All the way on the eastern side of Gaea is Jaxxia, the lonely country extremely similar to Avecaut. In sense, when the two sides of my paper connect, the mountains from Poweeke that turn into the Avecaut Mountains continue along into Jaxxia, becoming Wolf Ridge. There, in the middle of the terrain is the Forest of Rain, where it is always raining, yet never floods. The waters run off back into the Eastern Ocean, or into Rain Lake. _Species living in area: humans and magical _

            Below Jaxxia, to the south, lie the three islands that were far in the past Australia. The Island of Ella is the second largest but the most populated. What is special of Ella is that it is the smallest island to have its own desert: the Desert of Nun-Kadar. Between Ella and the other island is the Isle of Pesip, where the Gray Forest then rests. That island is all a forest, dark and uninviting. Only the bravest travel to the Gray Forest and there are only two communities on the whole island. The Snow Dunes of Grecta are the final island of the three, and resembles what is our Arctic. Full of snow, only live there if one could brace the six-months of darkness and six-months of light. Only go there if one can stand seeing snow year-round, and never see a blade of grass in their life._ Species living in area: humans and magical_

            The second last country is Neka, which is the most diverse of landmasses. The largest country, it has the Death's Ridge, perilous mountains that hide the White Plain, a snowy plain away. Only one settlement lies there. Back north, the Shadow Forest borders the west, hugging the Lake of Shadows. The Lake leads down into Essence River, which travels out into Oceanis Sea. To the north of Essence River lies the Valley of Doves, where the most communities lie. _Species living in area: humans  _

            The last continent is the Mystical Lands. True to its title, the Mystical Lands are home of the Enchanted Forest, and Lake of Apollo. It is also where the Ridge of Diandria is home to, separating two countries in that one continent. It is the most populated land in the whole of Gaea.  _Species living in area:  humans and some magical_

History on witches and warlocks: How they became to fight 

            The whole story is about how witches and warlocks try to dominate each other, trying to subdue one group to control the other. Hermione is suppose to, with her friends, fight this and try to convince every witch and warlock that they could live in peace. Minerva, her old teacher, tells her about how that was how they all remembered the history, passing it down as they didn't have any parchment or paper to write on. However, I can give a far more detailed history on how the two races became enemies. 

            That story begins like so:

            In the year 3000 and something, there were two young people from the same village on the Mystical Land. That, at that time, was where _all_ magical folk lived, away from the prying eyes of humans. Humans themselves were nomads, traveling around Gaea looking for new places to conquer but not the Mystical Lands. 

            These two young people were named Orion and Kalian. Both were magical and had many strong powers. Orion was very handsome, with his dark eyes and strong build, and he wooed many young hearts. Kalian was a young beauty, with long, luscious brown locks and doe-like blue eyes, and slender body. Many young warlocks were swooning over her, but her heart belonged to Orion, and his belonged to hers. Of course, being best friends and young lovers, there was bound to be someone who wished they were in the place of Kalian and Orion, and so that those two didn't have each other. They were Rubius and Melika.

            Together, Rubius and Melika devised a plan to make Orion and Kalian hate each forever, and go running into the arms of their unknown others, namely Rubius and Melika.

            One day, while strolling through the Enchanted Forest, Kalian was pulled away from Orion, Melika claiming she had to speak to her closest girl friend immediately. At the same time, Rubius led Orion away, claiming he had to do the same thing, though with his best boy friend. 

            Melika then fed Kalian some story about seeing Orion with a girl at an inn in a near by town, that one night she had been at home helping her family. Melika said that both Orion and the girl were very involved in what they were doing and had disappeared not so long after that. Kalian became furious, demanding to know who the girl was so she could speak with her personally, and wondering all the while why Orion hadn't been pure for her. 

            At the same time, on the other side of the forest, Rubius was telling Orion the same story, only changing it so that it was _he_ who saw _Kalian_ flirting with a young warlock at an inn a night that Orion had to go out hunting. Orion also became furious, wondering who the warlock was and threatening the air to duel with the unnamed warlock. Orion then stomped off, presumably to find Kalian, while she did the same. 

            However, they did not know that the male flirting with Kalian had been Rubius and the female flirting with Orion had been Melika herself. 

            The two conspirators watched Orion and Kalian shout at each other, denying that they had flirted – or slept – with anyone else, beside themselves. They didn't believe each other, calling lies and cheats out in the open, misreading old situations and twisting them around to make them look like it was the other's fault. 

            Finally, not standing it anymore, Kalian took off the ring that Orion had asked to be made personally for the one he loved, and threw it in the air. With her magick and anger, she burst the ring into fine dust, which spread around her, littering the whole of the Enchanted Forest. Orion called out in surprise, almost sobbing. That was the last straw for him, as they both told they wanted nothing to do with the other and left…

            But not in the arms of Rubius and Melika as the two had hoped; instead, they remained single for the following weeks, and finally years following that fateful argument. Finally, unable to take the pain and loss, Kalian left a spelled message to her family, saying she still loved Orion and couldn't be without him. She, later that day, killed herself in the Enchanted Forest. 

            Orion, beside himself with grief, copied his beloved and also killed himself in the Enchanted Forest (though at that time it was just the Magic Forest). From then on, the females and males argued about whose fault it was. Melika and Rubius saw what they had caused, watching from far away the wars and vandalism that both sexes were spewing at each other. 

History of witches and warlocks: The Enchantress of the Day and Night, and the Priest 

            Melika, seeing what she and Rubius had done, claimed a balance was needed. Rubius, agreeing with her, both decided to train hard, raising their power as much as they could, as to be the most powerful witch and warlock in Gaea. That way, they were intimidating all others into believing into the balance. Further along, after years, they would forget why they believed in the balance and live it out day to day, year to year. 

            Melika's body, however, couldn't take in the amount of magick she was taking in, so she finally died one day. However, it was not all in vain, because her magick was passed on to a young witch who believed in balance. Being giving the power when being made in her mother's womb, she was able to sustain and allow her body to take in the magick Melika passed on to her. She became the Enchantress, but would never use that title in her life, or the other girls after her. For, it was the year when the Day and Night would fight so ruthlessly would the Enchantress come to be, granted the power of the other witches before her. 

            Rubius had long passed away, dealing with the same conditions as Melika. He also passed on his power, but also his memories. This is why those who became the Priest knew the history of Gaea, but could not speak of it. Wisdom had a price, and that was what happened to the Priest. He, being so wise, chose the best-suited young men in the warlock community to become Priest's Knights. They were to protect the Priest, but also all other warlocks and witches at all costs; they also had to believe in the Balance. Thus, the Enchantress of the Day and Night and the Priest were created.

History of Bonding: why it is done and how 

            Bonding is the way warlocks and witches are able to control one another. When a witch bonds a warlock to herself, she is able to control how much power the warlock cane use and can control them easily, like an electric collar, almost. The same is if a warlock bonds a witch to himself. 

            The bonding rituals are overseen by an Elder/Mage (for the warlocks) when they chain the victim to a pole. The victim, before hand, is scrubbed down with diandira if they are a witch and icosandria for the warlocks. This renders them helpless and without their magick for a day. 

            After being chained to the pole, the witch or warlock that will be bonded to its counterpart is told a spell by the Elder or Mage, one which they must repeat while holding onto some part of their bonding. After the spell is said, a glow (what magick looks like when in visible, used form) is seen slowing engulfing the body of the bonding. Once the glow has disappeared, the victim is now bonded. 

            However, through history, only those who have previously been bonded can witness the bonding ritual, as anyone who hasn't been bonded may become scared and disgusted by the ritual _(hence chapter two, Harry thought Hermione was trying to bond herself to him)_.

            The only way to be released from a bond is if the one who bonded the witch/warlock to them dies, or the reversal spell is preformed. Yet, only the Priest who has memories of the past is able to give the reversal spell out, and that has never been done before in the whole history of bonding.

Clans and Covens: Name, Location and Specialties 

            There are many clans and covens in Gaea, but there are only four separate ones that all covens and clans are descendants of:

1) The Talamancaian Clan: they reside in the Talamancaian Woods, and are especially smart, brave, loyal and powerful with their magick. They are known for their exceptional fighting skills, love of natural magick and agility.

2) The Wycliffe Coven: they were nomadic, being chased always by Talamancaians. They are smart, brave, powerful in their magick, and are known for their healing and natural powers.

3) The Black Clan: they reside on the east side of the Marsh Lands, on the Ocean of Ion. The Black Clan is known for their use of Dark Magick, ambitious behavior, slyness and cunningness. They are knowledgeable in all fields but mainly potions, agile and powerful in their magick.

4) The Lliad Coven: they reside on the Mystical Land, and are extremely powerful in their magick, loyal, smart, and rather peaceful. They believe in the Balance, and are known for their knowledge and wisdom, and for their predictions.

These four groups are the main magical ones, where all are descendant from, thousands of years back. They have all different things they are good and special at, and are also known for their abilities. Though the Black Clan studies dark magick, it does not necessarily mean they _practice_ dark magick. Remember, one may know how to use a gun, but never use one… that does not make them a killer.

Death Eaters, Rogues/Gypsies: what are they? 

            Death Eaters are described in the story, though rogues and gypsies are not. As not to mean any offenses, the gypsies in _Enchantress…_ are based on 16-century gypsies. This means they live out of caravans, wear outlandish clothing (or look like a classmate of mine ^_^), and are itinerant. They consist of those who believe in the Balance, and are a mixed culture (from witches and warlocks to humans to elves) that travels along with them. They do not like working, so they steal and mooch what they can, living day-by-day and never worrying about tomorrow. 

            There are many different cultures and character races that will be introduced into the story, ranging from humans, magick folk, elves, dwarves, sirens and merpeople. Each have a history in my story, but it would take far too long if I were to go into each. So, I have stuck and left it with gypsies as they and Death Eaters play very large parts, while other cultures do not.

How magick works in Gaea: 

            I was asked this in one of my first reviews for the story. The only way to be able to describe this is by asking: Why is the sky blue? And please, science whizzes, don't go into the whole "the eye absorbs all the colours except blue and that is why the sky is blue" stuff. Let's still pretend we're four and don't know. 

            Magick in Gaea is something that witches and warlocks were born with. Like genetics, having the same nose as your mom or hair as your dad. Magick can be learnt, as I say that Hermione can take magick from nature. She draws the power from the earth, which is like a huge battery (except it never runs out of magick). Instead of using wands, Hermione and her witches use their hands as the medium between the two. Wands are just projectors for magick, like the staffs of the warlock's are. However, warlocks also use their staffs as weapons _(to pound on one's head, as Ron likes to use – chapter three)_. 

The Covens and Clans:

            I know that this is stressed in the chapters, but I will write it here to. I read a lot of fantasy/witchcraft stories and in truth, have gone overboard reading into a few. I look for symbolism, metaphors, any literary term I can find and laugh when I do, but because of this, I look at the different ways some author's write their perception of clans and covens. 

            From what I know, in witchcraft, you have _covens_. Though, in some reference text readings I have come across the fact that all male groups that study magick (or magic) are called clans. From that, I have devised so:

            Females, or witches, belong to a **coven** while males, or warlocks belong to **clans**. This makes it easier to the reader to know whether or not the group/people are talking about the males or females. It also makes their religion and studies a lot easier to identify, because there are differences.             

I hope that clears a lot about the world that I have created for _Enchantress of the Day and Night_. I have also created two maps (one of the area where the story takes place and one of all of Gaea). If my scanner ever comes to life again – which doesn't look like any time soon – I will post up on geocities or someplace similar the maps for reference. 

            Thank you all for taking the time to read all this, and I hope that you'll continue reading _Enchantress…_! 


	2. Enchantress of the Day and Night I

Enchantress of the Day and Night

Kneazle

D/C: All characters belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastics, etc. Some ideas are taken from "Disney's Atlantis", and mostly my odd dreams. Most information that is for the covens is based on Wicca, _Sweep_ by Cate Tiernan, _The Dragon's Tapestry, The Prism Moon _and_ The Taker's Key _by Martine Bates, Circle_ of Three_ by Isobel Bird, and most clan information is from _Sweep_, _Young Wizards Series_ by Diane Duane, and _Daughters of the Moon_ by Lynne Ewing. 

A/N: please note that this story is an AU and therefore, some characters MAY act out of character. They act according to their surroundings, or to the role they play, or to their history. ^_^. This story is also pure MIXED COUPLES, but I **_promise_** that it will end up H/Hr, for sure.

Summary: AU – In a world where witches and warlocks battle over slavery rights, where no sex is seen as an equal, a precious few gather to change the races' views before the war between the two escalate into something that could be the beginning – or end – of an era. Previously titled "Of Witches and Warlocks".

**~**

Chapter One 

             The young woman gasped, panting heavily as she pushed some brush out of her face, looking back temporarily to make sure her little eleven-year-old daughter was still behind her. 

            "Mummy, please, slow down!" cried the little girl, rubbing a dirty fist against her puffy red eyes. The young woman gasped, picking her daughter up and running faster than before, dodging a branch here and knocking one out of the way there. Her heart beat hard against her ribs, telling her, _slow down, you cannot make it, slow down!_ She chose not to listen to it, forcing herself to move faster. 

            Shouts came from behind; someone spotted them. "There they are! Get them!"

            The young woman sighed, surrendering. She jumped with agility over a thick, fallen log, tucking her young daughter into a little alcove in the trunk. "Hermione, promise me, no matter what that you'll not leave this place – that you'll stay quiet."

            "Mummy… where are you going? Let me come with you! Mummy!" cried the young girl. 

            "Hermione!" whispered her mother, tears running down her face. _"Promise me!! Promise me, Hermione! NOW!"_

            Crying, Hermione nodded, rubbing her eyes. "I promise, I promise."

            "Remember who you are, who is doing this to us. Do not come after me, Hermione." Her mother sighed, looking up at the sound of hoofs. They were getting louder. 

            "Mummy… I'm scared."

            "So am I, Hermione, so am I," murmured her mother, bringing her daughter close, one last time. She stroked and smoothed Hermione's fizzy yield-sign hair down. There were now shouts. Hermione's mother glanced up sharply, whispered once, "I love you," before dashing out from the log, running as fast as she could. 

            Seconds later, there was a rumbling sounds as Hermione saw the bellies of horses fly overhead, landing smoothly on the ground, following her mother. Hermione went quiet, cowering in fear further into the alcove. 

            Seconds later, she heard a scream, and the sound of metal and the smell of magick in the air. She could still see the residue her mother's magick made as she ran away. Crying quietly, Hermione lulled herself to sleep, someway knowing she'd never see her mother again.

            Ever.     

**-**

            "Hermione, are you listening to me?" demanded Minerva. Hermione looked up, blinking the memories away as Minerva McGonagall's face loomed in closely to hers. 

            "Of course, Professor," replied Hermione.

            Minerva glared at her protégé and nodded. "Well, you better be, child! What happens when I die, eh? Who will lead our coven?"

            "I will," sighed Hermione. "Listen, I know what I'm suppose to do Minerva. But why would the warlocks come this far out of their beautiful forest territory to attack us here?"

            "Because they need us to provide them sons," began Minerva, "come on, Hermione, recite with me here… and because they…"

            "Because they steal our magick to make them stronger, because they believe females should be below them and be their slaves, and because," Hermione looked over at Minerva, who recited the last part with her. 

            "Because they are men, and we are women. Enough said," they said together. Hermione sighed. "But it still makes no sense. Why should we have to hide here in old human buildings while they are free to run through the forests in the night? Why should we be cooped up in this horrid 'flat' as humans called it, while they sleep under the moon and stars? Oh, Minerva, how I wish our races were one!"

            Minerva's stern face melted into what resembled her youthful one. Wisps of black hair that were now salt-and-pepper fell over Minerva's blue eyes. "Child, I wish that were so, too." She sighed. "But I feel that it is beyond my lifetime… but maybe not outside yours. I am old, Hermione, and when I die I will need someone young to take me place."

            "Minerva," whispered Hermione.

            "Hermione, you are my student, the one I taught everything I knew to. You will take me place when I die. You will lead our coven to safety and to freedom."

            "I will, Minerva. I promise," said Hermione, glancing down at her right arm, where the gold arm bracelet rested, the witches' pentacle engraved in silver on it. Minerva followed her gaze, and with renewed energy, grasped Hermione's hands. 

            "Hermione," she said, staring directly into Hermione's eyes. "That bracelet you wear lets all other witches out there know your magick level. They will all respect you. You have high command and power once I am dead. Ginny won't always be around for moral support. You will learn how alone it can be when you are a coven leader."

            "I know," whispered Hermione, swallowing. At the name of her best friend, Hermione asked, "does Ginny have any brothers? Any warlocks? Her mother usually tells us stories at night about them."

            "Yes," nodded Minerva. "Ginny is the youngest of five brothers – warlocks, too – that are older than she. The oldest is Bill, who is a treasurer of Albus Dumbledore's Talamanca clan. Charlie is the animal tamer, Percy the noble who stands beside Dumbledore. Fred and George, twins, who lighten everyone's mood when sad, and finally, her oldest brother, the one that is your age, Ronald Weasley, strongest warlock in their family line. He does not know it himself, but with our scrying and witches power, we can ask the Mother to tell us this."

            "I see," nodded Hermione. "Ginny often wonders about them."

            "She should," replied Minerva. "It is only natural to be curious about one's family… but…"

            "But?" asked Hermione, looking up from her pentacle necklace (the one that all witches received when borne).

            "But she should not ever be too curious as to go with you out into the wilderness to search for them. They will kill her on the spot, or worse – strip her of her magick and bond her to one of their warlocks for mating!"

            Hermione cringed. "But don't we do the same to the ones our warriors capture?"

            "Aye, we do," Minerva nodded, a twinkle in her eyes. "But we give 'em a choice. Warlocks don't."

            Hermione nodded, and stood. Her teaching session with Minerva was over for today. Hermione stepped outside the dark, incense filled room to the bright sun, smiling.

            Her kind, the witches, lived where most humans (as were non-magic ancients called) had in the ancient times. They were all females, with the occasional male to serve as a slave for the richer in magick families. Hermione herself had no family, not in their large coven, at least. While she and her mother were escaping from a warlock's clan the warlock warriors had followed them and murdered her mother. Hermione had been able to take off into the forests, where Minerva and her coven picked her up. She had been Minerva's protégé since then. 

            Befriending her was Ginny Weasley. Last names weren't used in the covens, as there weren't two of the same name in any coven. 

            "Hermione!" called the sweet voice of Ginny. Hermione grinned, waved and ran down the stone steps towards Ginny.

            "How was your lesson with Minerva?" she asked when she arrived. 

            "All right, I suppose. We mainly talked about my responsibilities when she passes on to the Goddess," said Hermione, sighing. "I'm so afraid I'll do something wrong."

            "You won't," reassured Ginny, hugging her older best friend. They began to walk off, towards the upper floors of the flat to where the greenhouse was. 

            They walked by where the slaves were, where the warlocks they captured were placed. They had natural magick bonded to them to make sure they didn't do any magick. Angelina, a young witch only a few years older than the two girls, spotted them. She was in charge of the male slaves, making sure that the correct ones were chosen to bond to some of the witches. 

            "Hello there," she smiled. Her dark features made her look exotic and beautiful, and Ginny and Hermione often caught her in their discussions about where she was from. Angelina would only laugh and shake her head, saying she wouldn't tell them. 

            "Hi, Angelina," the two girls chorused, looking through the small windows in curiosity. "Any new warlocks?"

            "Actually, our Days should arrive soon with a new bunch if they were successful," smiled Angelina. Hermione shuddered.

            "It's disgusting the way we treat warlocks. They are humans and sharers of magick, are they not? We shouldn't do this to them," she said passively. 

            Ginny shook her head. "Hermione, they do the same to us. What should we do? Let them walk all over us?"

            Angelina nodded. "I agree with Ginny, Hermione. We'd die out soon enough with we let warlocks rule the world."

            Hermione sighed. "I suppose in a way you are right, but I still want to express my opinions on warlocks."

            Angelina was to reply when a screech sounded the return of the Days – the witch warriors. The three young woman's eyes were up to the sky, where a herd of griffins came sweeping down upon them. Hanging, tied to ropes from underneath the saddles were disgruntled and fatigued warlocks. Hermione gasped, her eyes wide and horrified by the scene. Angelina, however, nodded in pleasure. 

            "Seven! My, what a catch today!" she exclaimed. Hermione turned to her. 

            "You speak of them like they are fish!" she cried, revolted, "How can you say such things? They don't do that to use when they catch witches!"

            "How would you know?" asked Angelina, her ebony eyes narrowed. Hermione turned away in shame and whispered: "I was born in a bonding camp, Angelina. I grew up with warlocks till the age of eleven where my mother and I escaped."

            "But you arrived with the coven alone…" stated Ginny, trailing off in a soft voice. "Did your mother abandon you, Hermione?"

            Hermione felt something inside break into thousands of pieces; it was something she had locked away many years ago. The seventeen lives cycled girl looked at the warlocks, who were lying on their sides as the Days cut their ropes from the saddle and wrapped them tightly around their wrists. 

            "No," she whispered, tears in her eyes. She sniffed, placing an emotionless façade on. "She was murdered by Nights – warlock warriors."

            Angelina gasped and Ginny immediately said, "Oh, Hermione, I'm so sorry – I didn't know"—

            "That's right," said Hermione, a bit stiffly, "You didn't."

            She then walked away, around the corner to where the front of the warlock slave house. She watched disgustedly as the Days lugged and shoved the warlocks into the cells, each of the young men far too tired to fight back. 

            Once the Days had left, Hermione stepped closer to the bars. "My God… this has got to stop," she whispered to no one in particular, looking over their bodies. There were bruises everywhere, cuts and deep wounds that only a knife could make. 

            One of the men looked up, his head lolling onto his shoulder as he looked up into the daylight. Squinting, he asked, "Who goes there?"

            "My name is Hermione," said Hermione, stepping closer. "I'm so sorry."

            "For what?" the young man asked. Hermione sighed, falling to her knees softly, the blue silky material staining on the dirt. 

            "For your capture. I may not have said that they should go after you, but what they are doing is wrong," Hermione shook her glossy hair. "Forgive me, at least, for not doing anything to stop them."

            The young man, around her age, shuffled closer to where she knelt. In her shadow, she memorized his features: wavy brown hair, gorgeous brown eyes, sensible mouth and chiseled Roman good looks. He also memorized her features before nodding. "I forgive you, Hermione."

            "Hermione? What are you doing? Stop talking to that slave!" shouted a voice from far away. Glancing over her shoulder, Hermione spotted Angelina and Ginny waving, trying to catch her attention. 

            Ginny cupped her mouth with her hands and shouted, "My mother wishes to speak with you, Mione! Something about your coven responsibilities."

            Groaning, Hermione turned away from them and rested her head on the cool bars. The warlock reached out, taking a strand of her wavy hair in his hand and whispered, "I am no slave, Hermione. Tell them that."

            "I will."

            "HERMIONE!"

            Hermione sighed, as the young warlock released her hair she stood. She turned and walked a few paces when he called back out to her. 

            "Enchantress!"

            Hermione turned; looking at him curiously, she tilted her head to her side, awaiting his continuous response. 

            "It's Oliver."

            "Pardon?"

            "My name, Enchantress. It's not 'slave'. It's Oliver Wood, Keeper of the Forest of Talamanca."

            Hermione smiled slightly at him. Nodding, she said softly, "I promise, Oliver, and I never break them."

**-**

            The smell of blood and sweat mingled with the man's senses; he licked his lips in vain to get it out of his mouth, his nostrils, everywhere. He staggered; trying to reach the forest before anyone else realized that a warlock was still alive. 

            He reached the tree line easily, walking into its secluded dense brush, glad for his magick. His clan had been destroyed in a battle against Days, and he couldn't as well go back to his clan and inform them that their Nights were slaughtered, could he? It would be so obvious that he abandoned his duties to hide while his friends, enemies and leader were slain before his eyes. 

            The man swore, but nonetheless slumped against a tree trunk. He promised to return to his leader, the All Mighty Dark Lord. He was great with power and so far, unbeatable. He took witches _and_ warlocks in, sparing them all, welcoming them as his "children". The man hoped to find him.

            He looked up; getting dizzy the longer he looked at the mystifying maze of branches and leaves above him. He sighed, falling over on his side. Closing his eyes, he fell into fatigue and exhaustion, unaware of the large snake slithering around him body…

**-**

            Hermione whistled a couple of soft hymns she had been taught once arriving in Minerva's coven. She had been taught so much: she had been taught about the Moon, the Stars, and the Sky; she had been taught of the Sun, the Dawn and Dayset; and the pentacle's points being Air, Water, Fire, and Earth. Tales were told of their culture, their powers and harmony with nature. They took only what they could give, sacrifices something they loved for a whole Sabbatical, from either Beltane (May first) to Litha on June twentieth to twenty-third. Those days held festivals and celebrations, stating the middle of summer.

            She walked over to the warlock's prison, hiding the piece of homemade bread that was under her cloak. Slipping past Angelina, who was content on talking avidly with Katie Bell, Hermione crouched and hissed, "Oliver! Over here!"

            The young warlock skittered over to where Hermione crouched, ever watchful of Angelina and Katie. 

            "Hullo there, Hermione," he replied, "what brings you over here?"

            "This," she hissed, taking the flat bread out and stuffing it through the bars. Oliver's eyes widened, but he took the bread and hid it. 

            "I'll share it accordingly. Don't fear," he whispered. Hermione nodded, stood and was about to say more when a loud explosion of some sort rippled through the building before they could move any further. 

            "Hermione!" a voice shouted. Turning, Hermione saw Minerva shouting at her, far down the rooftop. "It's time!"

            "Time?" asked Hermione, suddenly afraid of that immortal word. Hermione dashed over to a smashed out window and glanced out. "Warlocks!" she gasped, seeing the tiny dots of men with their staffs' race into their building. "They'll be at this level in minutes!" she moaned. She turned back to Oliver at his cell, who had paled. 

            "Go! Run and get yourself out of here! They'll free us sooner or later, Hermione, and save you," he whispered hurriedly. Angelina and Katie ran by, completely oblivious to the fact that Hermione was speaking to a "slave". 

            Hermione shook her head. "Not until I free you!" She ran over to where the large, iron lock was, placing her hands over it. 

            "Hermione," said Oliver in a hurried tone, "There's no time!"

            The other warlocks were standing after sharing the bread, knowing that this one witch had been keeping them well fed and spoke to them as if they were equals. 

            "Oliver, shush!" she hissed, concentrating on the lock.

_I am old, please, all I wish is to be back in the ground where I came from_, the lock spoke.

_Return then to the land, which you came from!_ She willed. Seconds later, a soft icy blue light surrounded the lock and it broke effortlessly to the ground. A second blast made Hermione trip. 

A hand helped her up, and as she looked up, Oliver's face looked down at her. Shouts now came from all around. "Hurry," he whispered. "Leave here."

"I cannot! I must stay and fight – that is my duty as a Enchantress!" she argued. Oliver shook his head. 

            "No." He said, forcefully. "You may be a Enchantress, but you are powerful, Hermione. You are indeed and very powerful witch. Promise me that you leave here. Promise me!"

            He shook her shoulders when she turned her head, not wanting to be in the same position she had been in with her mother six years ago. 

            "Don't make me promise, Oliver," she whispered, through tears. "I lost my mother this way and I don't want to lose someone else too."

            Oliver smiled. "You won't lose me." He dug through his dirty pockets of his cloak, found what he was searching for and held it out to her. 

            "What's this?" she asked. 

            "It's a Remembrance Stone," Oliver said, placing it in her hand, closing it in her fist. His eyes looked into hers. "You think of the person who wish to see the face of, and then place this stone in your hand. Instantly, the picture will appear. You can store memories in here. This way, you never will forget me."

            Hermione was speechless as she looked up at him from the stone. He kissed her forehead. "I know I will not forget Hermione, the brave witch who thinks of warlocks and witches as equals." He turned, bent, and picked up a discarded staff of his, swung it around a bit and grinned. "It was a pleasure, Hermione. When you are in danger, I _promise_ to be there to rescue you. That is my promise and duty as a Priest's Knight."

            He then turned, jumped the height of the building with other warlocks and disappeared; probably off to fight some witches, Hermione suspected. She sighed and turned, seeing Minerva running up behind her. 

            "Hermione!" panted Minerva, as she appeared by Hermione's side. "You _must _leave! Now, before they take you too – I cannot allow my protégé to be taken!"

            Hermione gasped. "What? NO! Leave you here, I can't! Oh, Minerva, I shall stay by your side and battle with you!" 

            "No, you will go," came the voice of Molly Weasley, Ginny's mother. "Hermione, I am an Elder that is above your position. I am ordering you to go, now!"

            The sounds of footsteps pounding up the concrete steps was louder now, than it had been seconds ago. Heart pounding; Hermione nodded slowly. 

            She began backing up, not taking her eyes off the doors where she was sure the Night warriors would appear through soon. 

            "Hermione, GO!" shouted Molly, using a soft blast of her powers to push Hermione. Gasping, Hermione nodded and scrambled away, as fast as she could. 

            She reached the top when the sound of a door being blasted away caught her attention. The shouts of Molly and Minerva reached her ears, and the curses that the warriors voiced tainted her. 

            She was panting by the time she was on the building's roof, where their greenhouse was. An Elder was waiting at some sort of machine. Hermione watched Ginny sit on the blue plastic seat, holding onto the ropes on either side of the seat that connected to a pulley of some sort. When the Elder sent her power into the pulley, the chair took off at a rocketing speed towards their griffins. 

            "You're next, dear," came the voice of the Elder. Hermione didn't hear her. Everything was in slow motion and there was no sound. She got on the seat without knowing she had moved; now she was zipping over the city's empty street to the griffins on the other building's roof. Glancing back, she saw Minerva walk up the stairs, battling a warlock. Soon, they were too small to see what was happening and she was at the griffins. 

            "Hermione," Ginny's voice was soft, reaching her in her state. Hermione followed Ginny wordlessly, as she and the tear-stricken girl stood by the herd. 

            No one else came down the cord line. Hermione had been the last. The griffins cried out in their language, and the girls mounted. There was the feeling of falling for a split second before it began to rise through the cloudy sky. 

            Hermione turned around, twisting her body, and watched her home is destroyed. 

            Ginny gasped beside her, for a fire had roared to life, spreading through the top of the building, engulfing all that was in its way. 

            Hermione felt a flash on her skin, and looked down to see what caused it. Ginny and she watched as the arm bracelet turned silver and the engraved pentacle black. All around them, the women went quiet, hushed, as they flew in a V. One by one, they nodded to Hermione, their new coven leader. 

            Minerva was dead.

**-**

            Harry Potter was the son of James Potter, who had been in battle when he died. Lily Evans was a slave girl that James had rescued from a couple warlocks trying to rape her. She became the mother of their clan, but after James died, she herself starved to death, leaving her son in the hands of their best friends, powerful mages, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. 

            "Harry?" asked one of the warriors generals. 

            "Yes, Vector?" asked the young man of seventeen life cycles. 

            Vector, the black hair man general, bowed. "The coven Wycliffe has been destroyed. All those witches they had escaped have no where to go and the remaining witches that hadn't died are captured."

            "There are some dead?" asked the teenager, worry in his voice as he turned. He was tall, with broad shoulders and messy black hair. His emerald eyes glittered dangerously.

            "Er, yes, Harry," said Vector, "that is what General Malfoy ordered."

            "Send him in," growled the teen. Vector bowed and nodded, leaving the room. Soon after, Harry best friend Ron Weasley came into the building. 

            "What's wrong, Harry?" he asked. 

            "They murdered some," he said through clenched teeth. "Who else knows what they did?"

            Ron nodded. "What was the coven?"

            "Wycliffe."

            "What?" Ron exclaimed, before covering his mouth with his hand. Harry turned to look at his friend. 

            "Wycliffe, Ron. Is there…?" Harry trailed off and his eyes widened. "Did your father say that your Mother was from Wycliffe?"

            Ron nodded sullenly; sinking into a seat Harry offered him. "Father above! Harry, my mother… and did you know I have a younger sister too? They were both in that coven…"

            Harry placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm sure nothing happened, Ron. I didn't want anything to happen to that coven; the warriors were suppose to attack and take, not kill anyone."

            "I know," his friend whispered, his head in his hands. Nodding, Harry backed away and looked up when Lucius Malfoy and his son, Draco, entered the simple room, made in the trunk of an old tree.

            "You wanted to see us, Milord?" drawled Lucius, bowing. Draco copied him. 

            "I heard you ordered some of the witches to be executed, Malfoy," said Harry evenly. "Do you deny this?"

            Looking up, Lucius said, "why, Milord, I believed that it was what our Father above would have wished us to do! Exterminate the more powerful witches so they cannot battle against us—"

            "MALFOY!" roared Harry, stepping closer to the teen and his father. "I specifically ordered that no witches were to be hurt in the attack!"

            "It is impossible milord! They battle against us! They wish to die!" cried Lucius. Harry's eyes narrowed. 

            "I do not believe you. You have one more chance, Malfoy, and if you screw it up, your magick will be bonded," threatened Harry. 

            "That will not be so!" said Lucius, drawling out his words. "I leave this clan. Come, Draco."

            Draco took one look back at Harry, as in saying, _reconsider_, but Harry didn't move. Draco nodded once, and left the tree after his father. 

            Ron looked up from the chair he was in. "Slimy git," he snarled. "I hate Draco."

            Nodding, Harry agreed. "So do I, but I put up with him and his father because they have knowledge in the dark arts and witches coven's."

            Ron and Harry watched the scene outside change from afternoon to night, in silence. Both had much on their young minds. Finally, Harry said, "gather the warriors and the lords. We shall go on a hunt for rogue."

            Ron nodded and left the tree, whistling to Harry as soon as everyone was gathered.

            "Where shall we find these rogues?" asked a friend, Dean Thomas. 

            "In the Enchanted Forest of the Talamanca," said Harry, nodding at his friend. "Our territory. They should arrive here soon as our Seers inform us. We leave soon, so gather your equipment and men."

            They nodded and were soon on their way.

**-**

            In the darkness of a cavern, only the flicker of torches lining the ground in iron baskets showed the way to the beautiful crystal room, where a large group of warlocks and witches resided. 

            They all dressed in the same attire: for the men, black pants and dressy light shirts, with a long, flowing black cape with hood to mask any features. The women wore short black leather skirts, snakeskin boots and low-neckline shirts or halters. They wore also flowing cloaks to hide their identity. 

            One man, however, wore a blood red dress shirt with black pants and shiny leather boots. His red cloak was more of a cape, flowing long and beautifully behind him everywhere he went. The blood color matched his scarlet eyes and the black accented his pale skin and made his jet-black hair darker than the night.

            "My Death Eaters," he called in a surprisingly strong voice, his arms wide and welcoming. 

            The witches and warlocks stopped talking, turning to face their leader. 

            "Welcome," he hissed, his Anglo features neutral. "I want to initiate a new member into our… _happy_ group. Please, greet Severus Snape."

            The leader brought his cloak down from his elbow, revealing a pale man with greasy black hair, hook-nose and cool, uncaring eyes. 

            The Death Eaters regarded him with curiosity. Usually someone being initiated showed some sort of fear or tense nerves, but this man… he felt nothing.

            The leader grinned, facing the man. "Kneel, Snape."

            Snape knelt, his face carefully emotionless. He watched the leader take a staff out from behind his stone throne, before placing it on Snape's left, then right shoulder. 

            "Stand."

            Snape stood, like an obedient pet. Their leader looked at him with promise. His scarlet eyes seemed to show some interest when his face remained cool and collective. 

            "Show me your left arm, Snape," commanded their leader.

            Snape pulled his cloak off, and unbuttoned his shirt before lowering the left shoulder's sleeve. Nothing was blemished on the skin, no marks of any kind. 

            A sigh echoed through the crowd; how that would all change, they all seemed to think. Seconds later, the tip of the staff was pressed against Snape's skin, which boiled and blistered. Lines began appearing, filling themselves in as if someone invisible were drawing on his shoulder. 

            Through this painful ordeal, Snape made no noise. Their leader took this into note. Finally, when the staff was pulled away, and glistening, almost _wet_ mark was left. A skull was there, it's jaws open while a snake protruded out of the skull's mouth. The leader smirked. 

            "Death Eaters," he said, clapping a hand on Snape's back, "Welcome Severus Snape, and the newest member to Tom Marvolo Riddle's clan of Death Eaters."

**-**

Hello there! So what did you all think of "Enchantress of the Day and Night" so far? Does it interest you? Well, please leave me a review telling me what you think! I'd really appreciate it!


	3. Enchantress of the Day and Night II

Enchantress of the Day and Night

Kneazle

D/C: All characters belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastics, etc. K.A. Applegate's _EverWorld_, _Fern Gully: the Last Rainforest_ and _Enchantress of the Stars_ by Sylvia Louise Engdahl and mostly my odd dreams take some ideas, also from "Disney's Atlantis", _Sweep_ by Cate Tiernan, and _Circle of Magic_ by Tamora Pierce. Most information that is for the covens is based on Wicca, _Sweep_, _The Dragon's Tapestry, The Prism Moon _and_ The Taker's Key _by Martine Bates, _Circle of Three_ by Isobel Bird, and most clan information is from _Sweep_, _Young Wizards Series_ by Diane Duane, and _Daughters of the Moon_ by Lynne Ewing. 

A/N: please note that this story is an AU and therefore, some characters MAY act out of character. They act according to their surroundings, or to the role they play, or to their history. ^_^. This story is also mostly MIXED COUPLES, but I **_promise_** that it will end up H/Hr, for sure.

Summary: AU – In a world where witches and warlocks battle over slavery rights, where no sex is seen as an equal, a precious few gather to change the races' views before the war between the two escalate into something that could be the beginning – or end – of an era. Previously titled "Of Witches and Warlocks".

Genres: fantasy, romance, action/adventure, and drama

**-**

Chapter Two

            Sunlight filtered through the impenetrable leaves high above, creating a dark and bizarre network of ever-changing leaves. The forest was quiet and warm, with dew still on the large, pale green leaves of plants and mossy ground. A bird twittered and a squirrel hurriedly scurried up the trunk of a tree, probably to invest in some nut it had spotted.

            There was a squawk, and off to the side a flock of birds erupted from the canopy above. A group of riders, no more than four in total, appeared from round a fallen tree, all contently in a slow walk. The leader paused, still urging his horse forward, but his back was tense and straight, like he heard something. 

            He crocked his head in one direction, listening. The Talamancaian Woods were large and dense, with unknown areas that were yet to be discovered. Wild creatures, rogue witches and warlocks, they were all in this wood. 

            The young rider halted his horse, and his group behind him also paused. 

            "Hear something, Harry?" asked one. The young man named Harry turned slightly, his features obscured by the forest green cloak he wore over his black pants and thin white shirt. His staff was attached to the side of his mare, with easy access to grab if needed.

            "No. I thought I did, but whatever it was… it's gone now." He replied, turning back to face the front.

            "Well, don't forget to tell us if you hear anything," said another, this one tall. He had covered his clothing with a royal blue cloak, one that simmered in the light.

            "I won't, Ron," answered Harry, flashing a grin back at his friend. The group continued forward again, unaware of what was high above them that minute, flying above the canopy of leaves and vines. 

**-**

            The golden color of the griffin's fur made Hermione sigh, remembering the color of the fire back where she had spent her years studying magick, back when Minerva, her teacher, was still alive. 

            Now, it had been a day and a half of constant flying. To what? Hermione surely didn't know, even thought _she_ was supposed to lead the coven to a safe spot. Personally, Hermione had always found the Talamancaian Woods quite comforting, but that was her personal taste. She was quite sure that no one wanted to land in warlock country. 

            "Hermione," said Ginny, as her griffin fell into beat beside Hermione's. Hermione glanced over at her redheaded friend, acknowledging her with a nod. 

            "Ginny, is something wrong?" she asked. 

            "Well, no," she sighed. Her stomach rumbled. The two girls laughed, before Ginny said, "besides that fact that I'm starving, not really. The griffins will be getting tired soon. We should land. We really should, Hermione."

            "Are you sure you want to land in warlock territory?" asked Hermione, carefully. Ginny turned her head away. 

            "I really wouldn't mind," she said in an odd voice. 

            "You mean to say, you want to find your brothers," translated Hermione, smiling softly at the younger girl. Ginny's cheeks flushed. 

            "No…" She glanced at Hermione. "Yes… Oh! I don't know. Yes, I do… but the others… _and_ _the Days!_ Goddess above, if we settle down here and there are any warlocks around… they're doomed! What if they be my brothers?"

            "Pray that they aren't in this area, then," said Hermione with a grim face. "I may be coven leader, but even I cannot control the Days without other strong magick."

            Sighing, Ginny nodded and flew slightly away, a contemplative look on her face as she acquiesced to her thoughts. 

            Hermione then urged her griffin to the front of the herd, before turning him around. "May I have your attention please? I've been informed that the griffins are becoming tired… I think it'll be best if we rest tonight in the Talamancaian Woods tonight. Are there any objections?"

            "Aye," cried one witch out, "what be there if there be warlocks?"

            Hermione sighed. "We have the Days. They can take care of any warlocks if they come too close to our night settlement. **But**," continued Hermione, her voice raised, "As coven leader, I declare that **no warlock be harmed if caught**. Do I make myself clear?"

            The Days grumbled, as they clustered tightly together, but they nodded, assuring they would follow her orders. 

            With that set, Hermione then lead the witches down into the vast crown of the Talamancaian Woods, going steep and straight down. She knew these woods like her reflection; after all, this was where…

            She shook her head, clearing the past memories out of her head. She had much more important things on her mind now. 

            Ginny's griffin leveled off with Hermione. The two of them grinned; the race was on. Together, they tore through the awning, leaves whipping their cheeks and cutting them. The two girls took no notice, as they could heal the wounds easily with their magick. 

            They erupted through those thick leaves to the world underneath the canopy. Everything around them glowed in an unearthly aura, making the sunlight that came through gaps above dance around like faeries. Hermione and Ginny paused, catching their breath for a second before giggling. They dismounted their griffins, Hermione petting its eagle head. It purred like the half-lion it was, before going down on its knees, bowing, and then collapsing on the ground for a quick snooze. Ginny's griffin copied Hermione's, and together the two girls waited for the other witches to come. 

            Minutes later, they had all arrived in the ethereal forest, all in awe, for they had never been to the woods. 

            Hermione then said that the griffins should form a semi-circle around them for protection, and that the Days should scope the area out for any warlocks that might be on their way towards their night settlement. The Days left and Hermione breathed in relief. She had always feared the Days while she could talk to the Nights. Though the Nights were more aggressive and killed if there was a struggle, the Days had always tortured; despite what Minerva had what seemed long ago said that witches game them a choice. _A choice to what,_ Hermione often wondered. _Death or bonding? Which was worse?_ In truth, Hermione didn't know. She was only a young, powerful witch that knew that one day she would become the Enchantress… but then, was it her? Minerva had long ago told her of the prophecy, the one that she made Hermione learn off by heart. Certainly, Oliver thought she was the Enchantress. He had always called her that or by her witch name, Hermione.

            _Oliver,_ Hermione thought. Her first, true warlock friend. He was a Priest's Knight, meaning he fought only for the Priest, who was the ruler, or Father, of all warlocks in the land. Hermione's coven had the Mother or Goddess, who ruled over all nature, magick and anything pure. 

            Thought the Goddess was a spirit, a deity to the witches, the Priest was real. He was holy man, one who knew the balance. He didn't choose sides, saying that warlocks should rule. He was unbiased, but he was also in the body of a mortal. Minerva had always hinted that the Priest was Albus Dumbledore, the Talamanca clan leader. Hermione had often wondered who it was, but knew it was ill luck to ask aloud who it was unless it was taught. 

            Hermione sighed, walking away from the large group of witches who were now using their magick to create a fire. She walked to the very edge of their community, settling herself down on a grassy mound. 

            She took out the clear Remembrance Stone that Oliver had given her and clutched it in her hand. She closed her eyes and thought of Oliver, of Minerva and her mother. She placed Helen Granger's image in last, as it took the most time to remember what her mother looked like. She hardly realized that she had begun to leak tears until she opened her eyes and felt that salty wetness curve into her slightly parted lips. 

            She shuddered and dry sob, tilting her head back. Above her, an opening was blessed, as she could see right up into the sky. It was dark now, a beautiful shade of dark cyan, with the stars glowing brightly from their spots in the vast sky. 

            "Hermione?" whispered a voice. Hermione lowered her head to look at the voice; Ginny stood before her. The redheaded friend was framed by the firelight, and Hermione could safely say in her mind she envied Ginny's grace. Her petite frame and lithe hands made her look like a fire nymph, something that Hermione was sure she'd never be able to look like. 

            "Yes, Gin?" asked Hermione, patting the soft ground beside her. Ginny complied, seating herself beside her friend. Together, they were silent, in Hermione's case looking up at the stars and in Ginny's, staring into the fire. 

            Ginny turned to say something, but her gaze instead landed on the Remembrance Stone. "I say, what's that?"

            Hermione tore her eyes from the sky to the stone, which she clutched tightly and possessively. "It's a stone."

            "I can see that. Did you pick it up here, Hermione?" asked Ginny, with some envy in her voice. "It's very beautiful."

            "I know. I didn't get it here. It was a gift."

            "A gift! From who? Minerva? My mother?" Ginny turned, crossing her legs beneath her body. "Who, dear friend?"

            Hermione turned her head away, but said, "Oliver Wood, a warlock that was captured by the Days."

            At Ginny's gasp, Hermione turned back to her friend. "Have you thought that it could be a bonding? You could belong to him now!"

            Hermione's laugh echoed through the trees, stirring some birds that chirped indignantly. She shook her mane of brown hair and chuckled. "No, no, Ginny. It's just a stone. It's called a Remembrance Stone. You think of the faces of people and you can place them in the stone, like a memory. Look…" she trailed off, taking Ginny's hand and placing it on top of her own. Hermione then closed her eyes, thinking up the image of her mother. Ginny's gasped told her that she could see the face too. 

            "Who… is that?" she trailed off, before murmuring, "your mother?"

            Hermione nodded. "Aye… Helen Granger…"

            "She was very beautiful," Ginny said, letting her eyes wander over the features of Helen's face. Thick, wavy brown hair with bangs dropping out on to a small forehead, elegantly arched eyebrows, tiny ears, almond shaped hazel eyes, a gently sloped nose, full lips and an oblong face completed the picture. "You look like her," commented Ginny. 

            Hermione snorted. "I never will. I look like my father… not my mother."

            "I think you do," whispered Ginny, but Hermione took no heed. Instead, she stood and walked towards her griffin, curling up beside the belly, ready to welcome another dreamless sleep.

**-**

            The pale young man, with straight blond hair that was so pale it was nearly white, followed the taller version of himself through the underbrush, unaware of where they were going. All the while, his father would glance over his shoulder, check if his son was still there, and kept going. 

            He would constantly talk; talk about the witches, the havoc they cause, how they should be destroyed and how warlocks should rule. How there was one man who believed in the same idea.

            "Now, Draco, when we arrive, which is very soon," began his father, barely taking a breath. Draco rolled his eyes, the color of the sea when a storm is at hand, barely listening to his father. "You shall not speak, unless spoken to. The Dark Lord is a very busy mage, and we are to be blessed that he will take us under his Death Eaters."

            _Wonderful,_ thought Draco. _I was forced to leave Talamanca for this? A bunch of bloodthirsty warlocks and witches that want to destroy the world? Oooh, joy._

He watched his father stop at the small river. Across on the other side of the bank, there were thicker trees, the forest was more impenetrable, and there was a light fog on the ground. On their side, trees were bright; there was more sunlight and more birds chirping. 

            His father then pulled his staff out of the holster on his back, and spread his arms wide. "Father of night and evil, I call you. Allow me to cross over and become your servant. I come freely, take me to the night!"

            Draco watched with a smirk on his lips as the fog parted and a cave loomed before them. Stone steps appeared on the water, bobbing slightly. It was an invitation to come in to the lair. Draco followed his father, his eyes taking in everything. They were cool and unreadable, but his brain yearned for more knowledge. 

            He stepped into the cave, turning back slightly to realize that the stone steps were gone, and the fog was replaced. However, he could still see the other side, with the knowledge that anyone on the side couldn't see _him_. 

            At the sound of his father's boots getting softer, he hurried to catch up with General Malfoy, and stepped into a large dome-like room. Crystals high above, hanging from the ceiling gave off light. Draco was sure that it was enchanted to do that. 

            "Lucius Malfoy," a voice hissed. Draco's head came down from the ceiling to face the owner of the voice. He inwardly shuddered; _this was Tom Riddle?_ He thought, looking at the young man. He had always thought his to be… stronger… uglier, really.

            Riddle's scarlet eyes swept over Lucius as if his father was nothing. Lucius had bowed on one knee, like he was supposed to before the clan leader. Draco, again, rolled his eyes. 

            Instead, he found Riddle's eyes boring into his. He raised his eyebrow slightly, before bowing a bit at the waist. A small smile appeared on Riddle's lips. "Ah, a man who knows how to treat royalty."

            Lucius winched, looking back at his son. He shot his son a glare, as to say, _copy **me** you idiot!_ But Draco just smirked. 

            "You, boy, what is your name?" boomed Riddle, stepping away from his throne. Draco's face was unreadable. 

            "Draco Malfoy, milord," he said, his eyes on Riddle's feet instead of face. If he had looked at Riddle's face, he would have seen the growing pleasure in his expression and nod of approval. 

            "Draco Malfoy," he repeated, glancing over at Lucius. "He is your father, I presume?"

            "Yes, milord," said Draco, his tone still neutral. He wondered how long he'd have to keep this up. 

            "Well! Then I daresay that you both shall be imitated at _once_ into the Death Eater!" proclaimed Riddle. "Wherever your son got those manners, Malfoy, he was taught them well. Where did you learn them, boy?"

            "Clan leader Dumbledore made us learn those lessons, taught by mage Lupin," said Draco, "who is in the Talamancaian Clan."

            "Talamanca, you say?" mused aloud Riddle. He appeared deep in thought, but before anyone could say anything, he spoke, "come up here, boy, and receive a gift, a gift like no other!"

            Draco walked up the steps to the throne carefully, regarding Riddle's movements. Staff out, cool hardened eyes, indifferent emotion. He stopped on the last step, and kneeled. Riddle looked impressed. He took off his cloak, his shirt and bared his shoulder to his new Lord. 

            The staff touched the skin and Draco inwardly screamed, biting his lips. He smelt his skin burning; felt it flaking off… seconds later there was nothing but a cool throbbing engulfing his shoulder and surrounding area. 

            He stood, placed his shirt back on and cloak, and went to stand beside a young man with greasy hair and pale skin, with onyx eyes. He looked friendly enough, and familiar, so he made a beeline towards him. 

            "Hurts, don't it?" he whispered softly. Draco, who had been watching Riddle question his father, didn't know whether or not the man spoke aloud. 

            "What?" he whispered in the softest voice he could muster. "The mark being burnt in?"

            He nodded slightly, tweaking his nose as if it were itchy; it was a cover. "Severus Snape."

            Draco knew him immediately after that name was revealed. He had also been in love with Potter's mother, Lily Evans, but James had gotten to her first and bonded her. He, thought, had done everything for the girl and she in return took a liking to him. Nothing romantic so is said, but friendly. He had been enlisted to go with James to the battlefront of Drinett, where James died. The battle had officially ended when he died, but most mages and Nights had stayed, crusading against the Days from many different covens. 

            The battle itself was told that no one survived, and had ended only a year ago. Draco, though, was standing beside a survivor. 

            "I see," he said, unsure of what to say. Snape glanced over at him. 

            "You do not wish to be here, be a Death Eater," he said, smirking slightly. 

            "Of course not. Stupid father, makes me do 'what is best for the warlocks'," Draco hmphed, crossing his arms and brushing his hair back from his eyes. 

            Snape nodded. "Join me," he whispered. 

            "What?" asked Draco, looking at him from the corner of his eyes. His father's mark was burnt in and he was in, just like his son. He walked confidently away from the throne, taking a spot far from Draco. Tom Riddle stood, and shouted, "Eat, drink and be merry, my Death Eaters. For tonight we rest, and tomorrow we plan on attacking and decimating all opposing clans and covens who do not join us!"

            Cheers went up, people began talking, and Draco and Snape went to a secluded corner. They were in the dark, talking in soft tones. 

            "I work still for Dumbledore, Talamancaian clan leader. _He_ is the Priest, young Malfoy, and I dare not go against him, however strong _milord_ is," revealed Snape. "I trust you, lad. Will you join me? I leave every midnight during the fortnight to escape to Dumbledore to tell him of Riddle's progress."

            Draco thought it over. _Do I really want all this?_ He thought, looking around at the damp cave, _when I had everything I wanted back in Talamanca?_ It took no further convincing. Draco and Snape shook hands, settling the deal. 

            "No soul shall be told," he warned. 

            "No soul," repeated Draco, echoing Snape. They then walked away from each other, unaware of a pair of eyes watching them.

**-**

            This time, Harry reined his horse and held up a callous hand to stop everyone behind him. Night had fallen not too long ago, making it dangerous to travel. However, he was on a quest, and nothing could stop him from fulfilling it. 

            Ron pulled his hood back, letting his red hair capture the attention of birds around them. "What is it?"

            "Feet… magick…" whispered Harry, right before he felt the powerful magick of witches around them. A couple jumped out from before him, while others surrounded the two. They called their war cries, sounding like coyotes stalking their prey. This spooked Harry's horse, making him fall off. The horse took off, through the witches who stepped aside. 

            Harry propped his elbows up, before Ron jumped down beside his friend. "C'mon, mate!" he shouted, pulling Harry up. They turned and began running in the opposite direction, ducking branches and bushes. 

            Harry led, while Ron, a sandy brown haired man named Seamus next and the athletically handsome black Dean made a line behind him. Together they rushed through the undergrowth, trying to get away from the Days that were following them, keeping up with no trouble. He was sure they were teasing him. 

            "Why haven't they attacked yet?" shouted Ron, gasping for breath. 

            "Maybe they want a more dynamic death for us?" suggested Dean, shrugging his shoulders as he jumped a log. 

            Harry was to retort, when he burst through the clearing… at the edge of a cliff. 

            He turned; saw Ron, Dean and Seamus thinking what he was. They all whipped out their staffs, but only to see them be wrenched out of their hands. 

            The leader of the Days, a young woman, stalked up to them, her hands glowing blue. "You honestly think that your _wooden_ staffs would not obey their origins?"

            Harry gritted his teeth, wondering what was going to happen now. That same witch who spoke turned her palms face-up, just as the others were doing. Wooden ropes appeared from the ground, vines, wrapping around the four young warlocks. They struggled, but the ropes only tightened. 

            "Come. Our coven leader will surely love to meet you," the same witch said, stepping forward. She grasped Harry's chin, forcing him to look in her eyes. "Talamancaian."

            Harry's fear created a large gap in the pit of his stomach, but refused to show it. "Then take us," he spat. The witch smiled.

            "Temper, temper," she whispered. "That will get you nowhere."

            With a snap of her fingers, the rope-vines cut themselves off at the root, still wrapped tightly around the four. They fell to the ground in a thud, before the Days had tied them all together with a magick rope. They were pulled to their feet, and forced to walk in the middle of the group. Unable to push aside branches, their faces soon became bloodied, their clothes muddy. 

            Harry sighed. _What's going to happen to us now?_

**-**

_            It was dark, very dark. Stars twinkles high above, littering the sky with their radiance, while the fire reached high, its flames licking the tops of the trees. _

_            "What are you doing?" screamed a voice. "Are you trying to burn down the Talamancaian Woods?"_

_            There was no reply except the low hissing sound of a snake. A shout and scream, as the fires raged. Soon, Days and Nights were appearing from every corner, dashing before colliding with fury. A war had erupted, in the middle of the night. Though, through all the screams of dying men and woman, a soft, melodious voice started singing, the same phrase over and over._

_            "Twinkle, twinkle… little star."_

_            At once, the fires were put out and the world lurched into darkness. _

_            "Hello?" a voice called. "Is anyone there? Oh, please answer me! Please!" Nothing but the sound of heavy breathing reached the ears of the dreamer._

_            "Enchantress…" a voice hissed, the same hissing sound that had replied to the burning of the Talamancaian Woods. "Enchantress… come closer…"_

_            "Don't." A new, forceful voice demanded. "Stay away from him."_

_            "I am not the Enchantress! I am not brave, nor courageous or bold! I cannot be something that I am not!" the same voice pleaded. _

_            "You are the Enchantress."_

_            "No!"_

_            "You are…"_

            Hermione awoke with a start. Why had that dream come to her mind now? She placed her hands to her face, ready to cry out her pain, when the cries of the Days made her look up.

            They whooped through the bushes, dragging four young warlocks behind them. Hermione stood and watched them place them down in front of the fire. One looked up, bit his lip and allowed his chin to hit the dirt again. 

            Someone laughed, and the conversations began again. Hermione glanced over at where she had last left Ginny, but she was no longer there. Instead, she was sitting with a few of the Elders, talking and listening to them. 

            "Hermione! What do you want done with these warlocks?" asked the Days leader. Hermione wrenched herself from her contemplation and began to walk around the fire. To tired to think much, she muttered, "Just tie them up and place them upright. They deserve food and water. They are not prisoners. They will be released once we leave tomorrow."

            The Days leader nodded, and together, she and the others set the warlocks upright. Hermione then blinked and sat near the fire, watching it. 

            "You know," said a voice, "I used to be able to scry with fire."

            Hermione jumped at the sound of Ginny's voice, but she smiled warmly at her friend. "Really. Can you still do it?"

            "I am nicknamed a Fire Faery, aren't I?" grinned her friend. Ginny sat, Indian style beside Hermione, with their backs to two of the warlocks. Those two watched their every move. 

            Ginny closed her eyes, placed her palms on her knees and then stared into the fire. After a few minutes of nothing, she sighed. "Perhaps I have lost my fire."

            Hermione felt bad for the girl. She knew that she herself could scry with the fickle fire, _and_ water and earth. She also knew that Ginny knew this and was jealous of her advanced training. "Why don't you try it again?" she offered. "Maybe you weren't concentrating hard enough."

            Ginny sighed again, nodded, and concentrated. Hermione then bit her lip; looked away, and whispered to the fire in her mind, _please, reveal to us what is going to happen._

            At once, the fire leapt high into the air. All other witches went silent, as Ginny's concentration broke. 

            Still, the image of the Talamancaian Woods burning was etched in their minds. 

            Hermione gasped and scrambled backwards away, only a few paces. At once, the fire died down and returned to normal. 

            Ginny's wide eyes turned to Hermione who was ashen. "Are you okay?"

            "Hardly," she muttered. She turned her head, and saw that one of the warlocks was watching her. "Can I help you?" she asked, rather rudely. She was tired and very scared at the moment, so one couldn't blame her.

            "No, not at all," he said in a smooth voice. Hermione ran her tongue over her lips, obviously deep in thought. 

            She then dragged herself over to in front of him and a redheaded young warlock, and sat. "If I release you of the binds, do you swear on your life that you will not run?"

            The young man's emerald eyes locked with her cinnamon. Hermione felt something flutter at the bottom of her stomach, but she was sure it was because that roast turkey they had for breakfast didn't mix with griffin milk. 

            "I swear," he said, still looking in her eyes. She nodded, and leaned in closer. Her fingers sneaked around his trim waist to find the knot that the Days had formed. The young warlock gulped, and she heard his friend, the redheaded one, snicker. 

            "My name," she began, looking up at him, "is Hermione. I'm the coven leader of the remaining Wycliffes."

            The redhead now paid attention. "Do you have someone by the name of Weasley with you?"

            "Of course. Ginny!" shouted Hermione, turning back and waving her red-haired friend over. "C'mere."

            Ginny complied, saw Hermione on her knees searching for something behind the black-haired warlock and asked plainly, "what in the Goddess's name are you doing?"

            "Untying them," she answered as plainly as Ginny asked. 

            "Are you crazy? They'll attack us!" she wailed, staring at her friend. 

            Hermione stopped, looked up at Ginny and said, "Ginny, they gave me their word. If they break it, their magick breaks as well. It's a bond that all warlocks and witches go through. One can _never_ break their promises."

            Ginny tapped her foot in impatience and haste, and said, "What did you want me for, Mio?"

             "This one asked about a Weasley. As one, you can answer anything he asks," said Hermione, nodding at the other redhead. Ginny's eyes widened. 

            "Really," she asked. Turning to the young warlock, she looked him over. Tall, gangly, with a slightly large nose and the same sapphire eyes she had, the same random freckles spread along the bridge of their noses and cheeks… 

            "Another Weasley," he breathed. "And a witch! Harry, can you believe it? I found my little sister!"

            At this, Hermione coughed, slipping from her careful undoing of the knot. "Sister?"

            Ginny echoed her, "sister? What?"

            The young warlock then broke out into a smile and said, "My father is Arthur Weasley, and I'm his youngest son, Ron. I was told by my father that I have a mother and sister in the coven Wycliffe."

            Ginny's pale face regained some of its color. "Ron?" she asked, whispering. She didn't wish of any other coven members to hear her. The warlock nodded. 

            Hermione finished with the knot, pulled the vines out and exclaimed, "ta-da!" She then flung it away into the bushes. The young warlock with black hair rubbed his wrists, which were raw from the tight bind the Days had placed on them. 

            "Thank you," he said, rubbing them. "I'm Harry. I'm the second-in-command for the clan Talamanca."

            "Talamanca!" called Hermione. "Really! Is Dumbledore still clan leader?"

            Harry's eyes widened. "You know him?"

            "Quite well, actually," she blushed in modesty. She looked down, at his hands, and then shook her head. "Really, you shouldn't do that, rubbing them. It'll make it worse."

            "Huh, what?" asked Harry, snapping out of whatever he had been thinking. Hermione shook her head slightly. 

            She took his hands in hers, and placed them over the wrists. He hissed a bit in pain, as they were rubbed raw, but she allowed a blue glow to wrap around them. He was startled, thinking she had bonded him to her, and tried to pull away. "No wait!" she said. "Please!"

            He still resisted, leaning as far back as he could. She rolled her eyes and pulled her hands away. He stood up, tripping a bit backwards, before glancing down at his wrists. They were completely healed. 

            "How… what…?" he stuttered. 

            "I was trying to say, I could heal you. I can't bond and I wouldn't want to, anyway," she shuddered. "Doesn't that feel better without the raw skin?"

            Harry rubbed his wrists lightly, feeling the pinkish tinge appear as when one touches new skin would. He gawked, "yes, yes it does."

            On the other side of them, Ginny and Ron were chatting away, trying to get caught up. For once in her life, Hermione felt as if there was a balance. That was, at least, until someone in the coven screamed, "The warlocks are loose! They are loose!"

**-**


	4. Enchantress of the Day and Night III

Enchantress of the Day and Night

Kneazle

D/C: All characters belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastics, etc. K.A. Applegate's _EverWorld_, _Fern Gully: the Last Rainforest_ and _Enchantress of the Stars_ by Sylvia Louise Engdahl and mostly my odd dreams take some ideas, also from "Disney's Atlantis", _Sweep_ by Cate Tiernan, and _Circle of Magic_ by Tamora Pierce. Most information that is for the covens is based on Wicca, _Sweep_, _The Dragon's Tapestry, The Prism Moon _and_ The Taker's Key _by Martine Bates, _Circle of Three_ by Isobel Bird, and most clan information is from _Sweep_, _Young Wizards Series_ by Diane Duane, and _Daughters of the Moon_ by Lynne Ewing. I made up all history and locations. Information I use can be found at the following:

http://www.bibliomania.com/bibliomania-static/index.html, www.wiccan.com and http://www.feri.com/frand/Wicca4.html

A/N: please note that this story is an AU and therefore, some characters MAY act out of character. They act according to their surroundings, or to the role they play, or to their history. ^_^. This story is also mostly MIXED COUPLES, but I **_promise_** that it will end up H/Hr, for sure.

Summary: AU – In a world where witches and warlocks battle over slavery rights, where no sex is seen as an equal, a precious few gather to change the races' views before the war between the two escalate into something that could be the beginning – or end – of an era. Previously titled "Of Witches and Warlocks".

Genres: fantasy, romance, action/adventure, and drama

**~**

Chapter Three

            Hermione turned, ready to snap at the coven that they were completely harmless, but she never had the chance. Even as she opened her mouth to speak, the bushes parted and warlocks _and_ witches appeared. 

            "What the?" she sputtered, looking on in fear. Harry grabbed her upper arm, where her arm bracelet was. 

            "Come on," he whispered, "We have to get out of here!"

            "My coven!" she wailed quietly, "I can't leave them!"

            Harry spun her on her heel, forcing her to look into his emerald eyes, "you cannot help them. Do you know whom they work for? No? I do; a terrifying warlock by the name of Tom Riddle – he also goes by Voldemort. They do not care about others, they just kill. Now, _move_!" he instructed, pulling Hermione close to himself before using his magick to increase his strength. 

            He grabbed onto a vine that hung above them, and with Hermione clinging to his back he climbed up it. Hermione, still clinging tightly to Harry, glanced back down at her coven. 

            The fire was roaring, blazing, licking the tops of the trees. It had begun to spread, just like the scrying had shown: the Talamancaian woods were burning. Hermione cried out without meaning to, watching as these rogues kill and bond her coven. She whimpered and buried her head against Harry's strong back. 

            Harry himself had felt Hermione's head against his back and heard her whimper; again, he felt the fluttering in the bottom of his stomach. 

            _Honestly, Potter,_ he thought, _can't you keep your mind on your task and not a girl for once? Don't let your hormones get away with you!_

            He gritted his teeth and hoisted them both up on a sturdy branch, before slowly making his way from tree to tree. The voices, shouts and screams slowly got quieter, and by that time, Hermione had lifted her head from Harry's back and looked around. 

            "Where are we?" she asked, glancing at their surroundings. "I don't remember this area."

            "How would you remember the Talamancaian Woods if you've never been here before?" asked Harry, sliding down a trunk to the mossy floor. He waited for Hermione and caught her. 

            "I _have_ been here before," she stated, leaving the rest of the explanation hanging in the air. Instead, she turned her back on him and began to look around. "Where are the others?"

            As soon as she had said it, the leaves above her parted and Ron, with Ginny on his back, dropped to his knees before her. "We're here," he said as he stood. 

            Around them, Seamus and Dean also fell, where they brushed themselves off. The forest was unusually quiet and dark, so both warlocks whispered their location. 

            Ginny stepped forward and hugged Hermione. "I'm sorry," she said, "that you couldn't go back and help them."

            At this, Hermione took a deep breath, shut her eyes tightly and tilted her head back. She took a heaving, shuddering sigh and lowered her head. "So am I," she whispered. 

            Harry felt sorry for the girl; only seventeen and she had to be a coven leader, just a coven leader for a day, before her coven was slaughtered. "Come on," said Harry, turning, looking over his shoulder as he spoke, "we should get going. Those Death Eaters will come this way sooner or later and I'd rather be gone when they do."

            "That's what they were?" he heard Ginny whisper, "Death Eaters?"

            He turned around, only to be punched in the face. 

            "Harry!" he heard four people call his name as he stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. 

            "Get up, Potter," drawled a voice. "Afraid to fight little ol' me?"

            Harry brought a hand to his nose, and felt it tenderly. "Draco Malfoy," he sneered as he stood slowly up, straightening to his full height. Hermione stepped back, cowering in fear as she felt the magick radiating off Harry in waves. 

            Draco Malfoy, the tall, medium built blond man mock-bowed. " 'Tis I," he drawled. Hermione suspected that was how he always spoke. "Now, why don't you just give up nice and easy and we'll call it a draw?"

            "Never," hissed Harry, lunging at Draco. Not suspecting this, Draco was caught off guard. Both young men went tumbling to the ground, backwards, and down a small hill. 

            Hermione ran forward and stopped at the edge of the hill, pushing away a branch. She saw Harry pining Draco down in a small grassy field, but Draco kicked Harry off himself. 

            "Punch him in the bloody gut, Harry!" a voice beside her ear rocked Hermione. She blinked and turned to see Ron, shouting and waving his arms. Rolling her eyes, Hermione thought, _men_.

            In the middle of that field, both young men were slugging it out, punching each other where they could. Draco took a chance to run backwards, then forwards towards Harry, only to send a flying kick to Harry's jaw. Harry's head whipped back, and he fell. As Draco was to deliver a final blow, Hermione stepped in. 

            She raised both her hands, there at the top of the hill, and concentrated on Draco. A strong gust of air came sweeping down on him, lifting him up and away, over to the other end of the field where the beginnings of a lake stood. 

            He wiggled about; trying to get out of the gust of air Hermione was holding him in. "Bloody hell!" he shouted, "You're not going to drop me in here, are you?"

            Hermione said nothing but took her hands away, replacing them to her side. The gust of air disappeared and Draco fell into the crystal clear water. Ron whopped, hugged Hermione and began to slide down the steep hill. Hermione, Dean, Ginny and Seamus followed soon after, all running to Harry's side. Ron slid at the last moment and fell beside Harry. 

            "Great work, mate! You got 'im good," he laughed, patting his friend's back. Harry was flat on stomach, groaning. 

            "Ron, please stop," he managed to mumble out. Ron stopped abruptly, thought he continued laughing. 

            Hermione knelt at his side. "Where did he get you the most?"

            "Ughhhh." Was her response. Rolling her eyes, she tried again.

            "Okay, let's try this. Ron'll turn you over, you'll point to where it hurts and I'll fix it, okay?" she asked. Harry nodded into the grass. 

            Seamus turned and said, "uh… Malfoy is trying to get out of the water."

            Ron looked up, muttered, "slimy git," he stood. He took Dean and Seamus by an arm, telling them to watch over Draco and if he made any movement to whack him over his head with their staffs. Ginny followed wordlessly, unsure of where she was supposed to be. 

            Hermione rolled Harry over, who groaned with pain. "Whoa, calm down," she said, soothingly. "Right. First off, where does it hurt the most?"

            Harry's hand rose and he point at his chest, his eyes tightly closed. Hermione placed her hands over his chest where he indicated and felt the blue glow come off her hands. As soon as it disappeared and was soaked in through his shirt, she asked, "where else?"

            He pointed at his forehead, where blood had dried from a cut. Hermione placed her right hand over it, and again once the blue glow seeped into his skin, she moved away. 

            "Where else?"

            Harry pointed to his nose, his eyes still shut tightly. "Broken," he mumbled. Both of them could hear Ron in the background, shouting something at Draco who was shouting something back about not knowing how to swim. Hermione chuckled but went back to her work.

            She nodded, and placed her left hand, this time, over the bridge of his nose. She pinched it lightly and the blue glow arrived again. She whispered, "where else?"

            This time, Harry pointed at his lips, which were slightly parted. 

            "You're kidding me," she said, hunched on her heels. Harry shook his head, and pointed to the cut that was on the side of his bottom lip. 

            Sighing, she placed one finger over the cut and concentrated in that area. She concentrated on the softness of his lips, the sensual curve, how kissable they looked… she shook her head, blocking it of such thoughts. She hard hardly realized that his cut was healed, but her finger still rested on his lips. 

            Harry was watching her with curiosity. What was she going to do now? She stood shock-still, so he took the first move. He sat up, bringing his head closer to hers. In turn, her eyes fluttered closed, and she moved her head closer to his. They were mere inches apart, both heads tilted, anticipating what was about to happen. 

            "Oy! Harry! You healed yet?" came the voice of Ron. Harry swore mentally and opened his eyes. 

            "Yeah," he shouted back, standing. Hermione's eyes were also open, but her face was unreadable. Harry turned and extended a hand to her. "Let's go see what he wants."

            Hermione nodded and took his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. Together, they walked to where Ron was waving to them from. Neither spoke, nor looked back to see the dark shape that was watching them. 

**-**

            "What have you seen, Lavender?" asked the old man. He had a long white beard, twinkling blue eyes and crescent-shaped moon glasses. He wore the traditional Talamancaian clothing that a Priest would – after all, he _was_ the Holy Man, the Priest himself. 

            "You wouldn't believe it," the young woman said, sitting down on a chair. She swung a piece of loose blonde hair over her shoulder and flashed a grin. 

            "Try me," Albus Dumbledore said patiently. Lavender's blue eyes searched Dumbledore's face, but she nodded. 

            "Okay. It was Harry Potter and his three men," she began, checking her nails, "with the company of Ron Weasley's little sister and the Wycliffe coven leader Hermione Granger."

            Albus straightened up in his seat and leaned forward, resting his head in his hands, his eyes still on Lavender. "Really," he said, his blue eyes twinkling merrily. "And they are where…?"

            "Talamancaian Woods," responded Lavender, smirking. "I'd have thought that would've known, Dumbledore."

            Albus laughed. "Miss Brown, some things still escape me," his face turned pensive, though and he asked, "and the other Wycliffes?"

            Lavender paused, before glancing at the ground, "dead."

            "She and Ginny are the only ones left?"

            "Unfortunately. Such an old coven, gone… like that," Lavender snapped her fingers. Albus' twinkling eyes seemed to have dulled. 

            "I know. Perhaps… is she?" Albus Dumbledore left the question hanging. 

            "Is she what? The Enchantress?" she asked, smiling softly. "There's no doubt about it. Everything that was said in the prophecy about her has come true…"

            Albus nodded. "Thank you, Lavender. I'm sure that Neville and Fred and George are ready for your departure, taking you back to the Mystical Lands."

            "I have some other business to do here, actually, Albus," said Lavender, standing. She collected her green cloak and slipped it on, clasping it tightly at the base of her neck. She lifted the hood and let it cover her flowing blonde curls. 

            "Oh?" Albus raised an eyebrow. "Anything I should know, my Seer?"

            Lavender turned, smiling slightly before passing through the door, "No. And I'm not only your Seer, Dumbledore. I just work for whomever pays me more."

            With that, she was gone. Dumbledore stood where he was, at his desk, and nodded. "What a silly girl," he thought.

**-**

            "Ah! Bloody hell, help me Weasley!" shouted Draco Malfoy, trashing about in the water. "I can't bloody swim!"

            Ron, who was standing at the edge of the water, leaning against his staff, laughed. "But Malfoy, you're always saying that it's important for a warlock to be able to do everything, perfectly like you… I thought that included swimming."

            "Ron," hissed Ginny, "you're so mean!"

            "Little sis," said Ron, turning, "I am not. I am merely teasing this slimy bit of filth. He deserved it after everything he's said about me – and our Weasley family."

            Ginny rolled her eyes and began to walk to the water.

            "Ginny!" called three voices, beckoning her to come back to them. She ignored them, continuing forward. She waddled into the water, her light red satin pants ruined. Draco Malfoy watched in disbelief, still trashing, as Ginny came closer. 

            Water splashed into her face and she said, "Would you stop moving? You're not going to sink."

            "Yes I am! Yes I am!" shouted Draco, but he complied. 

            "Lie on your back and spread eagle," she instructed, coming closer. Though she was only a bit taller than Hermione's own five foot four, she had to begin to tread in the water sooner than she thought. 

            She swam gracefully to where Draco Malfoy looked like a dead man, on his back, hardly breathing. His face was pale and his eyes darted from side to side, nervous and scared. 

            "Firstly, calm down. You aren't going to drown," she soothed. 

            "How do I know? You're a Weasley, just like your brother, and he wants me dead," stuttered Draco, losing all his composure. 

            "Ron doesn't want you dead," Ginny sighed. "He just wants you to stop teasing and making fun of him."

            Draco mumbled something Ginny couldn't catch. 

            "Excuse me?"

            "Nothing," he said louder. Ginny nodded, and grabbed hold of his foot. She began to pull him towards shore, but he jerked and concaved his stomach. 

            "Straighten up!" Ginny shouted back at him, "You'll sink if you don't!"

            At once, Draco went back into a spread eagle, and Ginny towed him to where Seamus, Dean and Ron stood, watching. Ron had his staff grasped tightly in his hands, aware that if Draco made a move on his sister he'd beat him. 

            Once Ginny could touch the pebbly floor, she stopped pulling Draco. "What? We're there already?" he asked. 

            Ginny turned and crossed her arms. "I can stand. You're taller than I am, so you can stand easily here."

            Draco looked around, back at her and complied; concaving his stomach his feet sank, but he kept his head above the water. The second his feet touched the ground he stood straight, unaided. He didn't need anyone's help from now on. Ginny made a move to take his arm and guide him towards Ron, but he jerked his arm from her grasp and sneered. 

            "Get away from me Weasley," he drawled, "I don't need _your_ help."

            Ginny, angered and hurt, glared at him. "Okay then." She said, bringing a hand up, she placed it on his chest. A wave of water swelled from the shore towards them. The second the water hit the two, Draco was sent flying backwards, into deeper water, while Ginny was able to stay afloat.

            Draco reached the surface, gasping for air. "Help! Help!" he began shouting. Ginny turned and walked out of the water, bending to squeeze out the water from her hair. 

            "Ginny! Help me!" shouted Draco. She flicked her hand up in a rude gesture, and straightened. She glared at him. 

            "I thought you don't need my help, Malfoy," she said with such coldness it shocked Ron. "Get out yourself."

            Dean and Seamus started laughing, and Ron unbuckled his cloak, wrapping it around Ginny's shoulders. A cold, night breeze ruffled her hair and she shivered. 

            "Come on," said Ron, placing a brotherly arm around Ginny's shoulders, "Let's go make camp for tonight. Seamus, Dean? Get him out of there." Ron turned to speak to his sister, only to see her staring at Hermione and Harry, in the distance. 

            They could only see their silhouettes in the darkness, but it was enough to know they were close to kissing. At the odd expression on Ginny's face, Ron shouted, "Oy! Harry! Are you healed yet?"

            Ginny's head turned to look up at him, and he smiled down at his baby sister. After all, it was only a couple hours ago that he had met her, and he wanted to make up for the lost sixteen years they could've shared as a family. 

            Ron turned, and with his free hand (As his staff was placed in its holster on his back) waved. Harry waved back and shouted, "Yeah!" he turned and said something to Hermione, offering her a gentlemanly hand, which she accepted. 

            They then walked, a little a part from each other, towards the group. Behind Ron, Dean and Seamus were clutching a wet Draco Malfoy, who was gasping for air and kneeling on the ground. 

            When Harry saw Draco, he winced. "What should we do with him?"

            "I don't know, but we should make a fire. Both he and Ginny will freeze to death soon if we don't get one roaring," said Dean. 

            "If we do, the Death Eaters might see it and come and investigate," sighed Ron. 

            "I can perform a simple heating charm on something the two could wear," piped up Hermione. "Like, Ginny's wearing your cloak. If I charm it, then the cloak can warm her up like it were a fire. Draco could wear something else."

            Ron nodded and let Hermione take his cloak in her hands. The blue light that showed her magick flew through the fibers of the cloak, warming it. Ginny stopped shuddering, and smiled gratefully at her friend. 

            "Thanks," she said, her teeth still chattering. Hermione smiled and did the same to Dean's cloak, which they wrapped Draco in. Harry then checked to make sure they had all their staffs before saying, "okay then. Let's move out."

            "Where to?" asked Hermione, falling into step beside Harry. He looked around. 

            "Well, this is Morria Lake. On the other side, we'll be south of Talamanca and the mountain line your coven came from. We can head then towards Talamanca."

            Hermione lowered her head. "Back to Talamanca," she whispered. Harry nodded; unaware of the double meaning it held. She shrugged and smiled unsurely up at him. 

            "Lead the way."

**-**

            Night had melted into day by the time the group of seven reached the Talamancaian clan settlement. Harry, Dean, Seamus and Ron were ecstatic to be home, Hermione remained indifferent, Ginny was scared and Draco was unreadable.

            Harry laughed, clapped Ron on the back, and together they pushed past the low-hanging branches that obscured Talamanca from their view. The second Hermione stepped through, she gasped. 

            The trunks that the Talamancaians used for houses were brunt, pots and pans scattering the ground and the horses were dead. The Talamancaian clan did not exist any more.

            "Oh, Father," whispered Dean, gulping. Together, he and Seamus dashed through the houses, checking each other. They found a few dead bodies, but looked up when they saw Harry walk towards his home. 

            Hermione stood with Ginny and Draco, in the middle of the community. She watched Harry enter his house, and exit a few minutes later. He had pulled out some things and was hastily stuffing his pockets and had hiding what he got by the time he reached Hermione. 

            Dean and Seamus came back to where they stood and shook their heads. "For everyone we found, they were dead."

            "Who's missing?" asked Ron, swinging his head, looking around. 

            "Well, all your brothers, your dad, Albus…" Seamus trailed off, letting the names hang in the air. Ron gulped, swallowing a lump in his throat. He was about to turn away, when a voice jovially called out, "RON!"

            Ron turned; his sapphire eyes wet with unshed tears. Bouncing out of the forest were a group of redheads, and a few others. A man with a long white beard caught Hermione's attention. 

            Ron let out a laugh, and was swept up in a large bear hug that two identical twins were giving him. One with an earring and one with a few cuts along his face also joined, and soon one dignified one with glasses was also hugging Ron. 

            He broke away, looked over at Ginny, and brought her towards the group. A man with thinning red hair looked at her with interest.

            "Guys," began Ron, "this is Ginny… our little sister."

            The shocked silence didn't last long. The two twins, introduced as Fred and George, grabbed Ginny and drew her in. Instantly, the whole Weasley family was hugging, laughing and crying (on Ginny, Ron and their father's part). Hermione watch happily from afar, standing off to the side.

            "Ah, family reunions," said the old man with the beard. 

            Hermione nodded. "Yeah, they're really sweet."

            "Are you Hermione Granger?" he asked, turning to her. Hermione nodded. "Ah, I see," he said, nodding. "You look like your mother."

            Hermione's intake of breath made the old man chuckle. "Do you think that I do not remember you or your mother, Hermione? You look very alike."

            Hermione groaned. "Great. So, whatever happened to my father?"

            The old man's eyes twinkled. "He's hiding out in the forest with the others. You'll be with him soon enough… Enchantress."

            Hermione's eyes darted around and she shushed the man. "Old man, do you _want_ me to be killed? Watch what you say around here."

            He nodded, and made a zipping motion with his hand over his mouth. "My lips are sealed."

            Hermione nodded, letting out a sigh, and nodded. Draco was looking curiously at her, but she held her gaze and looked forward. Harry sighed in relief when he spotted this old man. Striding up to the two of them, he stopped short of the man and bowed. 

            "My Priest," he bowed. Hermione was shocked. The man she was standing beside was the Priest? The Priest to all warlocks and he _knew_ she was the Enchantress? Paling, she began to rock from side to side, the pit of her stomach rising. Seconds later, she hit the dirt, unconscious.

**-**

_In the future of today,_

_A bloodied war between two_

_Races of magick may_

_There is the high Priest_

_One with memories of old and new_

_But a young girl at least_

_Is the Enchantress_

_During the long Days and Nights_

_She is to gain the power and intelligence_

_To help her win the bloodied fight_

_She alone has the vehemence_

_But try as she might_

_Not alone will the Enchantress win_

_Armed with beauty and grace of her mother,_

_She has been brought up to understand the balance_

_Though she has her heart settle on another,_

_One Priest's Knight will give his life for her valance_

_He protects her and repays her kindness_

_A trademark of the Enchantress_

_Enchantress of the Day and Night_

_Battle evil, slay the danger_

_That is she, who will win the fight _

_Fall in love with a stranger_

_But a life half-lived, is a life lived in fear_

_And an Enchantress is never afraid_

_Enchantress of the Day and Night_

_She alone will be able to control the two races_

_For she has the strength and might_

_Never forgetting loved one's face_

_For this young witch is no slave, for she is the_

_Enchantress of the Day and Night_

**-**

            When Hermione awoke, the prophecy/song was still echoing in her head. Every time she woke up, now, did she have some sort of vision or the echo of the prophecy endorsed in her head. 

            She looked around, seeing she was outside and very dark. _Middle of the night,_ she confirmed, looking at the stars twinkling above her. She was wrapped in a warm blanket, and the warmth of the fire against her face made her realize how close it was to her. Was anyone watching over her?

            She sat up, the blanket slipping to her waist. She spotted Ginny with her brothers, talking avidly. Hermione smiled softly, for she was an only child and therefore independence she was gifted with. She had no one to attach herself to.

            _Not true!_ A voice shouted in her mind. _You like that Priest's Knight Oliver Wood enough and why is it that every time you look into Harry's eyes do you feel like drowning in them? Why is it that you always want to kiss him?_

            She growled softly, sighing, but stood. She placed the blanket far enough away from the fire so it wouldn't catch on fire, before walking around the camp. Warlocks of all ages huddled in groups. She was ignored mostly, but when she did pass a group, they would go silent and stare at her until she walked away. She wanted to scare them, or at least tell them their prejudices against her were unjust.

            "You're awake."

            The voice startled her, and she abruptly stopped. Looking to her right, Harry sat, sharpening a pocketknife with a rock, on a low branch. She nodded, "yes I am."

            He said nothing but continued staring at her, sharpening his rock. Finally loosing her patience she was about to speak when the old man, or Priest, as she had learnt walked up to the two of them. 

            "Harry, Hermione," he nodded. Harry jumped off the branch with cat-like grace and stopped before the Priest. 

            "Dumbledore," he nodded in return. Hermione bowed, in respect for an elder and from a witch to a Priest. Dumbledore chuckled. 

            "Please, you're making me feel so old," he told Hermione. She smiled back at him, feeling comfortable around him. Besides, he had a secret about her and she didn't want him saying anything. 

            He turned back to Harry and went on gravely, "Draco is a spy for us. He has told us a great deal of information on the Death Eaters and their leader, Tom Riddle."

            Hermione found she listening in, wondering just what was going on. 

            "… It's very well that he plans on attacking all the clans and groups in the Talamancaian Woods. It's best if you and the others leave this place immediately."

            "Leave? How? And where to?" protested Harry. "He'll find us wherever we go, and he has spies on every continent!"  
            "Yes, but if you find Castle Lorien the Priests and Priestess' will protect you," argued Dumbledore. 

            "Why would we need to go there unless one of us he is after?" sighed Harry, running a hand through his hair. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. 

            "Exactly," he said softly. Harry's head shot up, and his eyes took in everyone who traveled with them. 

            "Who?" he finally asked, pulling his eyes from Hermione. 

            "I cannot say," Dumbledore replied. Hermione let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. "But you must leave tomorrow, at daybreak. I can provide griffins to take you across the Ocean of Ino to the Mystical Land. You will be safe there, Harry."

            "I will stay and fight," he said. Hermione decided to join the conversation. 

            "Harry, it's for the best. That is where all magick came from, we'll be much stronger there," soothed Hermione. "It's only logical we go there."

            "And how will we find Castle Lorien? That place is impossible to find unless one of the Gods and Goddesses, like the Priest or Enchantress," he sighed. 

            Hermione bit her tongue. Great, she was now considered a Goddess. "Harry, we'll find a way. But for now, it's best we go there. There are many places we could hide."

            Dumbledore nodded, his eyes twinkling. "Though, I'd hate to say it now, it is only you, Ron Weasley and Hermione who are going, Harry."

            "What?" he sputtered. Harry's emerald eyes were ablaze. "What about Ginny? She just met her youngest brother, and now she has to be ripped away from him? And what of Draco? He could just as well be a spy for Tom Riddle."

            "Perhaps," said Dumbledore slowly and evenly, "but would a spy chain himself to the trunk over there to prove his worth?"

            Hermione and Harry let their eyes roam the campsite until they found Draco, chained and sleeping against a trunk. Hermione sighed softly and Harry gritted his teeth. 

            "Against my best judgment, let him go. He has proven himself worthy," Harry said, turning his head away.

            Hermione smiled reassuringly at him. "Do not worry. Tomorrow, at dawn, we will travel to the Mystical Land, and there we will be safe." _For now…_

            Harry nodded back, and walked away. Dumbledore followed him, but turned back once and winked at her. Hermione said nothing and did nothing to give away that she had seen the wink. After all, what was it suppose to mean?

**-**

An: okay-dokey. There shouldn't be _any_ spelling mistakes (unless you're American and then there are some words that are spelt differently for us Canadians). Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. In case you haven't noticed, I have placed up a preface to the whole story. It's so that people know what is going on in the world and where they are, history and such. 

**Stoneheart**: what else can I say but Ohmygod, Iloveyousomuch!! I love your reviews and you're so kind. Thank you so much for all your help so far – without your reviews and critiques (at times… ^_~) I doubt I'd be this far. And no fear – RS will be back sometime soon, at least I hope so. With most of my catch-up projects aside and only one test this week, I'll be back to check RS out… then maybe we'll see where that story goes… but a sequel to "Patroness"! Now, _that's_ something to look forward to!

**Baz**: Hahah, your name always reminds be of Baz Lurhman (spelling??), the director of _Moulin Rogue, Strictly Ballroom, Romeo+ Juliet_, etc… Anyway, other ships? **Nods** uh huh… just wait… they'll pop up soon enough. 


	5. Enchantress of the Day and Night IV

Enchantress of the Day and Night

Kneazle

Disclaimer: All characters/ideas belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastics, etc, K.A. Applegate's _EverWorld_, _Fern Gully: the Last Rainforest_,_ Mist of Avalon (the movie)_ and from _Enchantress of the Stars_ by Sylvia Louise Engdahl, Cirque De Soliel. Also, mostly my odd dreams take some ideas, _Princess Mononoke_ by Hayao Miyazaki, and from "Disney's Atlantis", _Sweep_ by Cate Tiernan, and _Circle of Magic_ by Tamora Pierce. Most information that is for the covens is based on Wicca, _Sweep_, _The Dragon's Tapestry, The Prism Moon _and_ The Taker's Key _by Martine Bates, _Circle of Three_ by Isobel Bird, and most clan information is from _Sweep_, _Young Wizards Series_ by Diane Duane, _Lord of the _Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, _Hexwood_ by Diana Wynne Jones and _Daughters of the Moon_ by Lynne Ewing. Information I use can be found at the following websites: Bibliomania**,** Wiccan.com **and** Feri.com. You can find other information just by surfing the net and looking for information on historical witches and wizards, and Wicca sites. [I made up all history and locations. All information will be composed at the end of the story on a final page with dedications and thank you's.]

Author's Note: please note that this story is an alternate universe and therefore, some characters **MAY** act out of character. They act according to their surroundings, or to the role they play, or to their history. ^_^. This story is also mostly MIXED COUPLES, but I **_promise_** that it will end up H/Hr, for sure. There will also be a couple of odd couplings, and because of the rating, there is some adult content in the story (sexual bantering, language, adult issues… etc).

Summary: AU – In a world where witches and warlocks battle over slavery rights, where no sex is seen as an equal, a precious few gather to change the races' views before the war between the two escalates into something that could be the beginning – or end – of an era. Previously titled "Of Witches and Warlocks".

Genres: fantasy, romance, action/adventure, and drama

Dedicated to: My beta-reader, Tim – thanks a bunch!

**-**

Chapter Four

                Hermione awoke in the morning, stiff and still tired. She wasn't ready for a trip to the Mystical Lands, and was quite content and happy in the Talamancaian Woods – alas, the Priest had said there was danger in the woods, and it would be safest for them to move on… especially with the Enchantress with them.

          It was Harry who roused her, telling her that they were moving soon. Hermione nodded, mumbled it was far too early but nonetheless stood and straightened her ruined pants and shirt.         She yawned, purring like a cat as she felt the sore muscles and kinks unwind themselves. She then followed wordlessly Harry, watching him silently, contemplating.

          _He looks good with those pants on… Oy! Hermione! What in the Goddess' name are you thinking?? _Hermione shifted her eyes guiltily away and nearly hit a low-branch. She ducked, but she could still hear Harry's soft chuckle. Growling, she didn't derail her next thoughts.         _Who does he think he is? Mr. Harry Potter, that's who – great warlock and to-be clan leader when Dumbledore dies. Humph… as if _he_ could ever lead them. Okay, sure, he's brave, and charming and nice; but he's still a warlock and therefore he's aggressive and sarcastic, just like his best friend Ron. And yes, Harry looks good in brown suede pants… and off-white shirt… and black hunting boots… and… I think I'm falling for him… _ the realization hit Hermione like a griffin had been thrown at her. Her eyes widened and she stopped walking. She stared ahead, her mouth slightly agape; Harry seemed to realize that Hermione was no longer following him and he stopped and turned. 

          "Hermione?" he asked, confused. He looked down the worn path they were taking and saw Hermione staring ahead, like a statue. 

          He retraced his steps, stopped before Hermione and waved a hand in front of her eyes. "Hello? Anyone in there?"

          Hermione snapped back to reality, blinking in the forest light. "Oh. Hello, Harry. Sorry about that, I was thinking."

          "Don't you always," retorted Harry, grinning. He gently took her by the arm and began to lead her down to where Dumbledore had told Harry where the griffins were going to be. By an opening, by the Ocean of Ino and the Talamancaian Woods' west bank, a pen had been set up with griffins resting in it. 

          "They're beautiful," Hermione whispered in awe, looking at the blue-furred creatures. Unlike her coven's fiery gold ones, these were cool, dark and mostly blue.

        "Water griffins. They're used to flying over water or around areas with more water than land," said Harry. He smiled at Hermione and continued, "Unfortunately, there are only two that Dumbledore could spare. That means we ride double."

          "I'm okay with that," answered Hermione, smiling shyly. Harry blushed a little but coughed to mask it. 

         "Right," he grinned. "We're just waiting for Ron, who wanted to say goodbye to Ginny and his brothers before leaving. It'll be a non-stop flight there, you realize…"

          "Harry, before landing, my coven and I had flown over the mountains, and into the heart of Talamanca. We flew for a day and a half before our griffins began to get tired. I think I can handle this."

          Harry nodded, sure that she could. Together, they began to pack up light leather bags filled with provisions. Harry was securing his staff against the blue griffin, making sure that when the creature would lift its wings to beat up the staff wouldn't slip out. 

          "Oy!" called a voice. The two turned to see Ron darting through the forest down to where they were by the beach. "I'm all set."

          "Good," nodded Harry. "Then we're ready to go."

          "Not quite," came a new voice. The trio turned to see Dumbledore standing next to a young girl, around the same age as them. She was blonde, her features hidden by her cloak.

          "My Priest," chorused Ron and Harry, making a fist with their right hand and placing it over their heart as they bowed. 

          Hermione stood awkwardly off to the side, watching Dumbledore and the girl. She nodded only, wondering what was going on. 

          Dumbledore's eyes danced. "Harry, Ron? Young Lavender Brown here is requesting to go with you to the Mystical Lands. She is from there, and wishes to return home as soon as she can. This is the easiest and simplest way for her to return home. Is it all right if she joins you?" 

          "I'm okay with it," said Hermione quickly. Though she enjoyed both warlocks' company, she was already feeling the pain in her heart – she missed Ginny dearly already. 

          Harry nodded and so did Ron. "We leave now," Harry cautioned, glancing at the young girl. 

          "That's all right," a smooth voice said. Elegant hands reached up and pulled the cloak down. Straight blonde hair cascaded down over her shoulders, with dull, pain-filled blue eyes. 

          Hermione looked at the young woman with the same expression that she was being giving. A simple nod confirmed it; they were both alone. Hermione vowed to find out as much as she could about this girl, but she realized it might be a hard task. 

          Harry watched Hermione glare – or stare? – At the other female witch of the group. He decided that it was enough and that they should be on their way if they wanted to reach the coast of Talamanca by night. 

          "Come," he said, getting on his griffin. He held a hand out for Hermione to take, which she accepted. She wrapped her arms tight around his waist, as she seemed to have a fear of griffins. 

          Lavender, the other girl, clambered on after Ron, disconnected and silent. Dumbledore watched Harry nod once at the Priest before the griffin rose. Hermione shrieked and clung tighter on Harry, burying her face in his chest. 

          Harry chuckled, but said nothing. He led the two griffins against the rising sun, not looking back once. It was important to him not to get emotional about his homeland. 

          "Your first time away?" asked a soft voice. Ron, Harry and Hermione all turned their heads to Lavender, who was staring simply at Harry. 

          He nodded. "I've never been to the Mystical Lands."

          "It is like the Talamancaian Woods, sir. Nothing but the people are different," she informed him, using extreme politeness. Hermione raised an eyebrow. 

          _Sir? SIR? She uses sir?_ She thought with a small, inward smirk. 

          Harry flashed a brilliant grin at Lavender. "Sir, eh? I like that."

          Hermione's jaw dropped, but she turned her head away to hide the fact. She heard Ron snicker and she glared at him. He stopped without delay.

          The rest of the ride was uneventful, and soon Hermione found herself dozing off. She hadn't slept well, for dream upon dream had plagued her mind the last night. 

          Hisses from snakes, red eyes, and fires… they all replayed in her mind. Sighing, she rubbed a fist against her tired eye, wishing that the black marks underneath would disappear. 

          "Hermione, you all right?" called Ron. She grimaced at the rough sound of Ron's voice. In truth, she thought him to be the most annoying, rude warlock she had ever met. Of course, that wasn't many, but he was certainly the most so far.

          "You okay?" asked Harry. Hermione, with her cheek against his back, felt the rumble of his voice from deep within. 

          "I'm fine," she replied. She tried to find something to occupy her daylight escapade with Harry, Ron and Lavender, but as the three engaged themselves in a conversation she didn't understand, she allowed her mind to wander. 

          "Back in Talamanca, we have this sport that we play. It's all over the island… its called Quidditch," began Ron, talking to Lavender. "We have this wide field we play in and there's these different balls…"

          "It's really a good game. Dangerous and exhilarating… it was brought over back hundreds of years ago from the Mystic Lands…"

          _Please…all this talking about this Quidditch rubbish. Why can't they talk of something more important? Like… what are we going to be searching for on the Mystical Lands? And why did Dumbledore wink at me before I fell asleep?_ All this and more caused a troubled Hermione to ponder over, but she didn't have to think too much at the moment.

          "We'll be there soon," came the reassuring voice of Harry. Hermione nodded, once, a confirmation, and returned back to her staring out at the green blur of trees below them. 

          Harry glanced back at her once, then at Ron, who shrugged. Lavender herself was taking in the sight of everything around them, and the oncoming coastline. 

          The rest of the trip was in silence. There was no need for talk, as each being was lost in their memories. Memories they didn't wish to share.

**-**

          Hours later, they landed at the outskirts of the Talamancaian Woods, the waters growing stormy in the approaching weather. 

          "We should take shelter," advised Harry. Hermione glanced over at him as she slid off their griffin. 

          _Why_? She wondered. She could easily create a shield bubble, and they would be able to stay inside of it with the griffins. They wouldn't get wet, nor would they get hurt if anything should happen. Instead, she followed Ron, Lavender and Harry towards a fallen tree trunk. 

          The trunk was large and rotted, but hollow and a perfect place to hide. The griffins would be fine lying on the ground outside it, like a camel during a desert storm. 

          Hermione soon crawled in, ad rested her back against the squishy moss that crew on the inside of the trunk. She found herself sitting between Lavender and Harry, and felt her defenses build up around her. She wasn't used to this close proximity, and she was getting tense.

          Harry felt her tense up, and turned to face her. "Calm down, it's just a storm."

          "It's not that," she replied through clenched teeth. Shuddering, she bit her lip before replying, "I'd rather be out there than in here". That would've been too cold, and she had found herself striving to be on Harry's good side. 

          Instead, she found her eyes closed, her breathing slow and deep. She was meditating, getting closer to the elements that were around her. The roaring of the waves intensified around them, crashing onto the beach with twice as much force as normal. 

          Around them, the wind howled, whipping branches back and snapping some. The sky was covered with dark gray clouds, clouds that hung low in the sky and filled with water waiting to be released. 

          Seconds later, the storm reached the coastline of the Talamancaian Woods. At first, there were only a few drops of water hitting the roof of the trunk. Then, the onslaughts of droplets were unleashed; the water pounded the trunk, the storm a full out riot of the elements. 

           Lavender burrowed herself deep into her cloak, and Ron placed an arm around her shoulders, keeping her warm. Harry was looking out of the opening of the trunk, watching the tide rise slowly. 

          Hermione couldn't take it. She was a _witch_, meaning she was in tune with nature. That was her magick. Warlocks were more regular, spell magick, but the forest, the elements… they were her home. She felt much more safe out there in the middle of a storm that cooped up like an animal in a den. 

          She leaned forward, and began to claw her way out of the trunk, past Harry. He barely noticed her leaving until Hermione placed a hand on his knee to push her forward. 

          "Hermione, where are you going!" he demanded, grabbing her around the waist. Hermione began struggling. 

          "Let me out!" she cried, straining against Harry's hands that were clasped securely around her waist. 

          "What? Into that storm?" he asked, "Are you crazy??"

          Hermione stopped struggling, looking back at him. She wouldn't say that she'd feel better out there, not too his face at least. Instead, she turned her head away and sighed. 

          "Harry, just let me go," she pleaded, facing him again. Harry swallowed, glancing back at Lavender and Ron who were watching them with wide eyes. Thoughts raced through his mind. 

          _Should I let her go? What if she gets hurt? I'd never forgive myself… she's a powerful witch, she can take care of herself…her magick could not work with all this untamed power around us…_ Finally, he made his decision. 

          He let go of her, and she clambered out of the trunk quickly. 

          "What the bloody hell did you do that for?" demanded Ron, facing Harry. 

          "She wanted out. She knows what she is doing, Ron," replied Harry, narrowing his eyes. "If you want, you can go out there after her. I'm not stopping you."

          Ron swore under his breath but didn't move. Harry nodded. "Just what I thought."

          Lavender gasped, pointing out of the trunk. "Look!"

          Harry turned, expecting to see Hermione in some sort of distress. However, he saw her sitting calmly on the beach, lighting a fire, some weird sort of bubble around her. Her hair was not flying about in wind, nor did the water that pounded hard against the ground affect the fire.

          "Hermione!" Harry called, but his voice was lost in the wind. She seemed to have heard him, turning her head slightly, and tilting it. Without a second thought, Harry scrambled out of the trunk with Ron shouting after him. 

          The second he stepped out of the trunk, Harry knew it was a mistake. How could a witch, smaller and lighter than he, make it across the beach with this wind?? He planted his feet firmly apart, the wind lashing out at his face. 

          He could barely hear over the roar of the waves, the ones that were crashing just a few feet away against the beach. Sea spray was all around him, soaking him down to the bones. Chilled, he tried to take a step forward, the sand making him sink into it. Instead, he was nearly blasted off his feet when a strong gust of wind reached him. 

          He closed his eyes and took a small step forward, bracing himself and straining all his muscles. Another step, and only ten more to go. However, he lost his footing and skidded back a few paces, towards the woods behind him. 

          Grabbing on to the sand, he clawed at it, trying to dig himself into the ground. He lay flat on the sand, his cheek pressed against the cool sand. His eyes were shut tightly, and he resisted the urge to whimper. 

          _Dad wouldn't have been this stupid…_

          Seconds later, he heard a crash. Above him, a thick branch had been broken off, and was falling directly towards him. 

**-**

          Draco scowled, realizing that Harry, Ron and the witch had already left. He was supposed to follow them, report back to his leader and mark that witch. He was supposed to be her shadow, but he missed his chance. 

          His cool eyes wandered around the campsite, pausing on the redhead female of the group. The little girl was the one who rescued him from the water, and was Ron's little sister.

          As the idea began to form itself, he let his eyes watch what the witch was doing. Undoubtedly, she was a strong one. She could scry with fire, which was fickle and showed only what _it_ wanted. She wasn't the Enchantress, though, but a good friend of hers. If only he could lure her away from the campsite… and then…

          _Then what?_ Asked a voice in Draco's head. _What then, hmm? You've seemed to know what you want to do when arriving in the Mystic Lands._

_          I'll do what I have to, even if it means…_ his train of thought was interrupted as the redhead girl looked up, and caught his eye. He tried to smile at her, but she shot him a cold look and walked into the forest. 

          _Ouch, Draco… burned!_ He chided himself, but got up off the rock he was sitting on and followed the girl. He pushed aside a few leaves and branches before coming across a river. On the other side of it, the witch was dunking a wooden bucket into the water and pulling it out. The water and bucket combined seem almost too much for the girl to handle, but she pulled it out of the water and began to make her way across the river. 

          Draco watched her silently, and by the time she reached the bank, she noticed him. 

          "Don't you have somewhere to go?" she asked coolly. 

          Draco considered it for a moment. "No. I don't."

          "Then why don't you get lost?" she snapped. Draco faltered, placing a hand on his chest. 

          "Me? Get lost?" he asked, appalled. "Don't you want me around, fair maiden?" He stepped closer to the witch, bowed, and took her hand in his before kissing it lightly. 

          The witch pulled it from his grasp and snarled, "I bet you don't even know my name. Least of all remember it."

          "It's Ginny," Draco said, thanking his good memory. The girl looked slightly impressed. 

          "Right." Instead, she placed the bucket down and put her leather shoes back on, making sure that they weren't falling apart. 

          They stayed in silence, until Ginny finally burst out, "What do you want??"

          Draco stepped closer. "You."

          "Me. You want me."

          "Didn't I just say that?" he asked. "Or is there an echo here?"

          Ginny burst out laughing, in his face. "I'm sorry – let me get this straight… some guy that hates my family just wants me out of the blue? That doesn't add up. Now, why don't you go and find yourself a nice siren, hmm?" 

          With that said, Ginny picked the bucket up, tapped Draco once on the chest and began to make her way through the forest, back to camp. Draco just stood there, stupidly, as he stared where she was last standing. 

          Coming to his senses, he turned and bounded through the dense brush until he landed in front of Ginny, blocking her path. 

          "What now?" she groaned. 

          "You fancy that Harry fellow, don't you?" Draco accused her. 

          Ginny was startled, speechless for a few precious seconds, but then a faint pink tinge appeared on her cheeks. "No."

          "Then why are you blushing?" smirked Draco. 

          "I am not!" cried the girl, dropping the bucket as her hands flew to her cheeks. "Oh, bullocks!" 

          Draco stooped and picked it up for her, it swinging off his index finger. "Look. I know for a fact that he, Ron and that other girl left this morning at daybreak to the Mystic Lands."

          "What? How do you know? Why?" stuttered Ginny, staring at Draco. 

          "Never mind how I know," he said, waving her off, "I just know, okay? Now, do you really fancy this guy?"

          "Yes…" she said slowly. 

          "Then come with me to the Mystic Lands. We'll leave this place and go after Harry and your brother. You can then be with Harry all the time, and I can be with the other girl," said Draco, his plan being set. 

          "The other girl? Hermione?" asked Ginny, "Is that who you mean?"

          Draco nodded. "Yes, yes, Hermione. The other girl that was with them."

          "I don't know…" began Ginny, looking down. "They probably went because the Priest sent them…"

          "No he didn't!" shouted Draco, at his wit's end. Ginny stared, aghast at him, so he cooled down quickly.  "I know he didn't," he tried again, "just trust me. You got me out of the water, and now I'm returning the debt to you. Come with me to the Mystic Lands, and I will do everything in my power for you to be with Harry, Second in Command of the Talamancaian Woods. Deal?"

          Draco stuck his hand out, his eyes meeting Ginny's. The girl looked confused, but she also looked hopeful, thinking the options over. 

          Finally, after what seemed like ages, she said, "I've made my decision."

          "Well?"

          She reached out and shook Draco's hand. "You've got yourself a deal."

**-**

          Seamus was sharpening his blade when Dean sat down beside him. The two were best friends and never separated. People often said this was because Dean owed Seamus his life, and when that debt had been paid off, Seamus then owed Dean his life, and so forth. They were always in the other's debt.

          Dean had never paid attention to those rumors. In truth, he and Seamus just liked each other's company, and therefore were best friends. 

          "What's new?" asked Seamus, the second Dean sat. Dean looked over at his friend. 

          "You always seem to know when there is something happening," he commented. Seamus shrugged. "Anyway," Dean continued, "Ginny Weasley is missing, and so is Draco."

          Seamus' hands stopped running a stone across his blade, he looked up. "Are you sure?"

          Dean nodded. "Ginny went in to get some water from the Morria River a couple hours back and Draco was seen going in after her. Neither of them has come out yet."

          "Hmm."

          "What do you make of it?"

          "Make of it?" laughed Seamus sourly. "I think that there's something going on that we don't know about. I think there's a reason why Ron, Harry and Hermione left this morning at daybreak. I think there's something really large going on, and we're left out of the knowledge."

          Dean nodded, falling silent. "Should we ask Dumbledore about it?"

          "The Priest?" Seamus asked, nodding. "Maybe. He should know what's going on." Seamus sheathed his sword and dropped the stone he was using into a leather pouch that hung on his right side. Together, he and Dean walked towards where Dumbledore stood high on a rock in the woods, watching the light from the sun fade away. 

          "Priest?" asked Seamus, bowing. Dean copied him, and together they rose when Dumbledore turned around, the twinkle in his usually happy blue eyes missing. 

          "Yes?" he asked, sounding tired. 

          Seamus and Dean shared a look, but pressed on. "Sir, we've heard of Draco and Ginny's disappearance, and of Ron, Harry and Hermione's absence. We wish to know what is going on."

          Dumbledore looked at the two teens, sizing them up. Finally, he sighed, knowing they would find out sooner or later. "Boys… Hermione… she is the Enchantress."

          Seamus gapped. "You mean… she is the one to fight the darkness and save us all?"

          Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. Harry and Ron have been sent to the Mystic Lands to find Castle Lorien. There, Hermione shall remain and receive proper training until Lord Voldemort decides to show his face and start the battle. However, Harry and Ron do not know that she is the Enchantress. There is another witch with them… a Seer… her name is Lavender, and she can see thing before they happen. She is their guide."

          "And what about us, then, huh?" demanded Dean. "What are we suppose to do? Wait here until the battle?"

          Dumbledore shook his head. "No. I believe that you two should go and find my Knights."

          Seamus and Dean were surprised. "Find the Priest's Knights, sir?"

          "Aye," said Dumbledore, smiling down at the two teens. "They will help you on your quest. Once you find them, tell them you have direct orders from myself to track down the Enchantress. The Knights are devoted to the Priest and the Enchantress; that is what they were taught to do. When I die… Harry will become the next Priest, and he will become the leader of the Talamancaian Clan."

          Seamus looked mortified at the thought of Dumbledore dying, while Dean looked confused. 

          "So, where are the Knights?" he asked. 

          Dumbledore shrugged, and began walking back to the campsite. "Here, there… they're everywhere. I believe that Captain Oliver is leading them. They were last seen in the Wycliffe area before being set free. Perhaps you should start there?"

          Seamus and Dean watched Dumbledore walk away, leaving the two alone in the woods, a huge mission on their hands. Immediately after Dumbledore was lost from sight, the two scrambled down the rock and back to the campsite. They had much to do.

**-**

          Harry was sure that he was going to be crushed to death by the branch. Instead, he felt something warm touch his hand, and the warmth spread throughout his body. He opened his eyes to see Hermione kneeling beside him, before she placed as much of her body over his as she could. 

          The bubble that he had seen around her was now around both of them. The wind that had been howling around him moments before had disappeared. Now there was nothing but an eerie calm. The rain had stopped splattering around him, though he was still wet. 

          He heard the branch hit something, the leaves rustling against whatever was between them and it. Seconds later, he felt Hermione get off him. He turned his head and saw her kneeling at his side, her hands pressing gently against a cut he received when he was blown off his feet earlier. 

          "You should be more careful," she said, removing her hands from his healed wound. 

          "You shouldn't have run out there!" he cried, wiping some hair out of his eyes. 

          Hermione stared back at him, feeling her anger build up. "Why shouldn't I have? I was doing fine out in my bubble by myself before you ran out, calling my name!"

          "I was worried, okay?" he shouted, jumping to his feet. "I thought you would've gone and hurt yourself!"

          "I was fine!" Hermione shouted back, jumping to her feet. She stood with her hands on her hips, her face tinting with anger. "I didn't need a chauvinistic warlock come out and help me!"

          "I am not being chauvinistic!" shouted Harry, leaning forward to emphasize his point. "I was caring about you!"

          "I don't need to be cared about!" Hermione shouted, feeling tears prickle the corner of her eyes. _God, why am I pushing him away like this?_ She wondered. _Oh yeah, everyone I care about goes and dies on me. That's why._

          Harry felt like he had been slapped. "Fine. Fine!" he shouted. "You don't need my help. You don't need my protection. Yeah, okay then!"

          Hermione bit her trembling lip but didn't say anything. She stared Harry down, and finally, she knew she had won. He turned and began to stalk back towards the trunk, when he realized he be swept off his feet again. 

          "Do you mind?" he asked coolly, pointing at the trunk. Hermione hmphed, stuck her nose in the air, and walked him back to the trunk. 

          However, by the time they reached, Ron and Lavender stood outside, waiting the return of the two. The wind had disappeared, and the clouds had rolled away, leaving a spotless, blue sky. The sun began to warm up the beach, and dried up all the water.

          The bubble blinked out as Hermione crossed her arms. 

          "Wow!" whistled Ron, "That was some impressive magick, Hermione!"

          "Thank you," she sniffed. 

          "Where did you learn to do a bubble shield?" asked Lavender in her soft, misty voice. Hermione looked confused, uncrossing her arms slightly. 

          "What do you mean? I thought everyone was able to do that," she replied. 

          Lavender shook her head. "No. Days and Nights cannot do that. Only extremely powerful witches or warlocks."

          Hermione paled, a muscle under her left eye twitching. _Oh my Goddess… do they suspect me to be the Enchantress? Do they know?_

          "Are you all right?" asked Ron, taking a step forward. Hermione nodded, though pale, and steadied herself against the trunk. Her eyes flickered up and she caught Harry watching her, concern filling his eyes. The second however, their eyes met, his turned cold and he turned away. 

          _What have I done?_ She thought. _I nearly spilled my secret, and now Harry is mad at me. Great job, Hermione. Keep this up and you'll be dead before you reach Castle Lorien._

          She stood, and followed slightly behind the other three towards their griffins. Feeling like someone was watching her, Hermione turned, but saw no one. 

          _Enchantress…_

          Hermione's eyes darted towards the darkest part of the forest, but saw no movement. 

          "Come on, Hermione, we're getting ready to go!" Ron shouted, from down the beach. 

          "Coming!" Hermione turned around and began walking back towards her friends, but the way the voice had hissed her title made her shudder with dread. 

          _Enchantress…_

          Again, Hermione shudder, walking faster. Her body felt cold and clammy, like she was fighting something despite the warm tropical weather around her. 

          She slid on the griffin behind Harry, clinging to him. As they took off towards the sky, she took one glance back. She could make out a shape in the shadows, but didn't know what it was. But whatever it could be, she didn't want to find out.

**~**

A/N: WOO! That's been a while, hasn't it? God, I'm so sorry for the long wait – my beta reader had to get back to me with this and I've been so busy… I won a literary award, so my short story is being published and I have to go to a reading, and I'm so nervous about it… **tears at her hair** I hope that all of you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for sticking with it! ~~ Kneazle


	6. Enchantress of the Day and Night V

Enchantress of the Day and Night

Kneazle

Disclaimer: All characters/ideas belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastics, etc, K.A. Applegate's _EverWorld_, _Fern Gully: the Last Rainforest_,_ Mist of Avalon (the movie)_, _Aladdin_, _Chocolat_ and from _Enchantress of the Stars_ by Sylvia Louise Engdahl, Cirque De Soliel. Also, mostly my odd dreams take some ideas, _Princess Mononoke_ by Hayao Miyazaki, "Escaflowne", "Rayearth" and other fantasy animes, and from "Disney's Atlantis", _Sweep_ by Cate Tiernan, and _Circle of Magic_ by Tamora Pierce. Most information that is for the covens is based on Wicca, _Sweep_, _The Dragon's Tapestry, The Prism Moon _and_ The Taker's Key _by Martine Bates, _Circle of Three_ by Isobel Bird, and most clan information is from _Sweep_, _Young Wizards Series_ by Diane Duane, _Lord of the _Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, _Hexwood_ by Diana Wynne Jones and _Daughters of the Moon_ by Lynne Ewing. Information I use can be found at the following websites: Bibliomania**,** Wiccan.com **and** Feri.com. You can find other information just by surfing the net and looking for information on historical witches and wizards, and Wicca sites. 

Author's Note: please note that this story is an alternate universe and therefore, some characters **MAY** act out of character. They act according to their surroundings, or to the role they play, or to their history. ^_^. This story is also mostly MIXED COUPLES, but I **_promise_** that it will end up H/Hr, for sure. There will also be a couple of odd couplings, and because of the rating, there is some adult content in the story (sexual bantering, language, adult issues… etc).

Summary: AU – In a world where witches and warlocks battle over slavery rights, where no sex is seen as an equal, a precious few gather to change the races' views before the war between the two escalates into something that could be the beginning – or end – of an era. Previously titled "Of Witches and Warlocks".

Genres: fantasy, romance, action/adventure, and drama

**-**

Chapter Five

Ginny screamed as she clung tighter at Draco's waist. They were racing over the water so fast that her vision was blurred. Ginny was beginning to feel sick when she opened her mouth to ask him, "Do you always go this bloody fast?" before burying her head in his back.

Scowling, though without her seeing it, he replied carefully and cheerfully, "Oh, always. This _is_ the **newest** and **richest** way around Talamanca and the Mystical Lands, Weas—Ginny."

Ginny seemed doubtful of that, but kept quiet. She didn't like this mode of transportation… where was the good old fashioned ride a griffin around when you wanted one? No, instead, she was sitting sidesaddle, hugging Draco tightly on a narrow piece of wood that seemed to be unbalanced. Bristles stuck out at the end for that balance that Draco said there was, but Ginny seriously doubted him that something only a few inches wide could hold them up. 

"Um… what are we on again?" she asked timidly.

"A broomstick," he replied absently, not turning around or tilting his head back to show he was listening. 

Ginny pursed her lips in impatience, but rolled her eyes and began to think of the Mystic Lands. Apparently, that was where all magical beings came from, in the days of old. She wondered what the Mystic Lands looked like. For, she had only been on the island of Talamanca, and had not been anywhere else in her life. Of course, this Draco Malfoy seemed to know _everything_ of the "outside" world (she referred to it as), and she felt honored to be in his presence. 

Well… slightly. 

Her companion didn't seem to be much of a talker, so she figured that was just his nature – though it did not do much to her growing curiosity of the Mystic Lands, and of her brother and his companions. 

She wondered what she would say to Harry when she saw him again. She fantasized that she would run into his arms. It would be twilight, and they would be standing on a grassy plain in the Mystic Lands. Stars would shine above them, lighting the way to the Heavens above. 

When he turns, he would see her and open his arms wide, welcoming her into his life. He would twirl her around in his arms, and she would lean down to kiss him –

"We'll rest here for the night," interrupted Draco, his voice cool and soft. Ginny sighed; not only was her daydream interrupted, but also it was so good!

"All right," she agreed. She _always_ agreed.

**-**

Below her, the shiny waters of the Ocean of Ino reflected the fading light. Hermione would've enjoyed all this, seeing the shadows below of the two water griffins soaring above the blue depths, but she still couldn't seem to get her fight with Harry out of her mind. 

She felt guilty for saying the things she did, but she couldn't take it back. Also, she worried that Ron, the Seer and Harry would think too deeply into her bubble shield. Minerva never warned her that only _she_ could do it. Letting out a gust of air between her two front teeth, she resisted the urge to snort. She was such an outcast and here she was, soaring over the gorgeous waters, the stillness of everything around her, and all she could think of was whether or not they'd find out she was the Enchantress. So what if they do find out? It's not like they could really do anything to her… 

Instead, she adjusted her rump on the seat of the griffin, hoping to become more comfortable. She saw Harry turn his head slightly, looking back at her, but as soon as she glanced up, his head was straight ahead again. _Goddess above, what is so hard in flying a griffin? You don't have to steer them in any direction,_ wondered Hermione, clucking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Instead, she focused her anger and attention out towards the horizon. Somewhere… somewhere out there was the Isle of Marquis. Located in those islands, was the mystical Castle Lorien. In that castle… were the secrets of previous Enchantresses and Priests, with the knowledge of the years stored there. Shrouded in a mist, surrounded by the most beautiful gardens in the world – that was where Hermione was suppose to learn all her final training that Minerva could never supply her with. That was where Hermione would begin to ready herself for the battle she knew she was destined to fight. Sighing, she realized that thinking wasn't going to get her anywhere, so she might as well go ahead and try to be nice to Harry. "Um… how much longer until we reach the Mystic Lands?" she asked, trying to be polite.

"We'll be there by morning," came the static reply. 

"Oh. I see," she said. "Will you be awake the whole time then?"

"Yes."

Again, Hermione fell silent. Hermione thought, annoyed, _fine! He's just a silly little second-in-command to the Talamancaians who love to torture my people. I can live with his hatred._ The thought gave her pause and she realized that maybe living with his hatred was something she didn't want after all. She looked at him once, just studying his face, before she sighed and let her mind wander to less strained topics.

**-**

Ruins. Crumbling makeshift buildings and decaying flesh greeted Dean and Seamus when they landed in the now deserted village of Wycliffe. That coven had been completely wiped out, and it was pretty much their clan's fault. The two of them walked through the maze of fallen stone, their leather boots making no sound as they carefully stepped over charred bones.

"Any signs of the Knights?" asked Seamus in a whisper. He seemed to avoid the main question, the one that was on his mind.

Dean shook his head. "None whatsoever. Mayhap they left a trace?"

"No," shook Seamus's head, "They are far too smart for that. They would not leave anything behind to show they were here, when it is apparent that the Nights had stormed through.

A tiny scuffle made both teen warlocks draw their blades quickly from their sides, and begin to walk towards the noise in small steps. Seamus motioned Dean to go 'round the left side while he took the right. As Seamus crept, he counted to three, and jumped out from his spot. Dean, on the other side did as well.

"ARGHH!" they shouted, trying to frighten whatever the scuffling being was. However, the only thing they managed to scare was a tiny rat that squeaked and ran away.

Sighing, out of relief and disappointment, Seamus pocketed his blade, as did Dean. "Well," Seamus began, "that was a complete waste of time—"

He was cut off as vines wrapped themselves around his ankles and Dean's, lifting them high into the air. They dangled above the sharp rocks of the buildings, their shirtsleeves flipping upside down and their arms waving in the breeze.

"Bloody hell!" roared a voice. "Those aren't Death Eaters – let 'em down, lads – easy does it now…"

Seamus and Dean were carefully lowered, and when they were standing upright on their wobbly feet once more, did they glance around and inquire about their attackers. 

The men around them all wore deep green and brown pants and tops that acted as camouflage when they were in the thickly wooded lands of the Talamanca. All possessed swords, and each carried staves with beautifully carved designs that ran down their lengths. They were also noticeably older than Dean and Seamus.

The one who yelled them to be let down stepped forward and introduced himself. He was slightly burly, but had a thick accent and a handsome face.

"Me name is Oliver Wood, Captain of the Fifth Regiment of the Priest's Knights," he said, bowing slightly at the two, baffled, teens. "And who might you be?"

"S-Seamus Finnigan and D-Dean Thomas," stuttered Seamus. "Dumbledore – er, the Priest – sent us to find you. He wants to send you on a quest."

"A quest?" asked Oliver, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Well, mind we'd best be here to watch over the Priest… but did he say what kind of quest?"

Dean nodded, swallowing. "He wants you to protect the Enchantress." 

At this, the warlocks around the three began to mumble and whisper amongst themselves. Oliver's face paled for a minute, but then he raised a hand to silence his troop. "The Enchantress, eh?" he asked. "Did he say what her true name be?"

Seamus and Dean shared a look. Even though the Knight's were under Dumbledore's Order, they were given more leeway then normal warlocks ever had. After gaining whatever knowledge they wanted from Dean and Seamus, they could kill the two without so much of a wince.

"Yes," Seamus answered slowly. "In fact, we saw her before she left for the Mystic Lands."

"Mystic Lands!" exclaimed one of the men. "Would she be heading towards Castle Lorien, pray tell?"

Oliver turned and cracked a grin. "O' course she would be. Hermione has no where else to go, Cedric."

Dean felt his jaw drop. "Y-You know the Enchantress?"

Oliver turned his attention back to the two younger warlocks and let out a loud bark of laughter. The other men also laughed. "O' course I do," he chuckled. "She was the one who fed us and took care of us while we were 'eld captive here. She was also the one to crack us outta the prison that those damn Days placed us in."

"She did all that for a stranger?" whispered Dean in awe.

"That she did," shouted another Knight. Dean and Seamus were surprised. They hadn't expected that Hermione was that well known between the Knights and that they would readily go into battle for her.

"Then you will help us find her? And protect her?" Seamus asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

Oliver leaned forward a bit, enough that Seamus couldn't see behind the Captain. Oliver spoke quietly, "Finnigan – all of these warlocks pledge their lives to the Priest and Enchantress. If Dumbledore says we should go out and die for the Enchantress… we'd do it. No questions asked."

Seamus nodded, swallowing a lump of something in his throat. No questions asked, says Oliver. _Well, no questions asked,_ thought Seamus, _I think you warlocks are hiding something._

**-**

Draco had lit a fire nearly an hour ago, when the sun had just set below the watery horizon line. There were roof marks in the ground, and footmarks too – evidently Harry had been here not too long ago.

"We're making good time," said Draco, his gray eyes fixated on the dancing embers. Ginny said nothing, but wrapped her knees close to her chest. He hadn't noticed she was cold. He hadn't noticed anything about her, but his obsession with getting near Hermione. Why? Because he wants to be near her… that was something Ginny didn't buy for a ray of light.

Then again, all she could think about was getting near Harry before Hermione did something with him, something that would make him hers forever. 

Like bonding.

Ginny shivered some more, but fixed her eyes on the fire. It danced, an erotic and sensual thing that hypnotized all who watched. Ginny once had the power to do the same in the way she danced, but then she forgot and her "Fire Faerie" nickname was lost, just the like talent was.

"Have you been to the Mystic Lands before?" asked Ginny.

"Twice."

"Why?"

"Once to my mother's death – she lived there and killed herself to be released of her bonding with my father. The other because of a meeting of warlocks there that my father wanted to see," he answered in the same cool voice he used for everything else.

"Oh. Is it nice there?"

"The same as here."

"No difference?"

"Many differences," he sighed.

"But you just said"—

"You'll see!" he snapped, and the conversation was over. Ginny ventured no more questions that rode on her curious mind, and Draco remained quiet, poking at the wood in the fire with a long stick. He seemed deep in thought and Ginny didn't want to be snapped at again. He seemed to have a bad temper, and was very narrow-minded about the topics she brought up. Of course, they were very female-influenced questions, and hearing a male's perspective on bonding and magick was interesting to her. Hermione and she had run out of those philosophical topics long ago.

"I'm going to find us some food. Stay here," said Draco abruptly. He stood in a fluid motion and was off in the forest before Ginny opened her mouth to say something.

She closed her eyes in sadness. She was alone now, and that feared her greatly. She never was afraid of the dark, no – it was the fear of being alone, with no one around. Now with Draco off to find food, she was sitting vulnerably out in the open of a beach by a fire. She clutched her pendant, before jumping up and running through the woods for Draco. She felt tears of frustration building up when she couldn't find him. A shuddering sob came through her parted lips, but she bit down hard on them and pushed through the branches that blocked her way.

She stumbled forwards, through a small grove of trees before she heard it: a voice. She sighed, and stepped through the branches, saying, "Draco, I"—

She broke off. Draco stood alone in the clearing, but his shirt was off. His back was to Ginny, so she saw nothing but the milky white skin, with the contrasting red slashes that ran in many lines across his back. That wasn't what stopped her though.  His head was bent towards his left shoulder. He had it stuck out slightly, the skin reflecting the moonlight. There, high upon his shoulder, was a face – it was a simple skull, but with a snake protruding out of the open mouth and winding around the skull. 

Ginny had seen that mark before – once in her life, long ago…

_A young Ginny of five years clutched her mother's skirt, blinking and sucking contently on her thumb while the witches walked stealthily and quietly through the ruins of another town. _

_It had been this way for many days now, village over village, being burnt and decimated. Ginny didn't know what was going on, but understood the message clear enough: stay quiet. _

_Their coven leader, Minerva, was leading the group, her hands outstretched and ready to fire of nature's deadliest when she stopped moving and looked up, her back arrow-straight. _

_Many other witches followed her example, before crowing with fear. _

_There, high above the ruins of the houses, and stakes with bodies screaming silently from them, was a mark. Ginny thought it to be the ugliest thing she ever saw. Black, blacker than the nights sky it was. It was a skull with a snake coming out of the open mouth. _

Who would eat a snake?_ The young girl thought at that moment, but when her mother covered Ginny's eyes with her hand, she knew it was bad. Very bad, and she should never see it again, as long as her mother lived to prevent it._

She never did she it again while her mother was alive. But her mother was dead. And the Dark Mark was in front of her, on Draco's shoulder. Ginny stepped backwards, trying to make her way back silently to the fire when her foot snapped a twig. Draco's body spun as he turned and spotted her cowering in fear. 

_They're evil. All who wear this mark have sold their soul to their Lord._ Her mother's voice echoed in Ginny's head.

Ginny's blue eyes widened as she saw Draco's own gray ones narrow. "You!" he hissed, not bothering to hide his coldness.

Ginny stumbled back. "I-I'm s-sorry, I d-didn't mean…" Within seconds, she had turned around and began an all–out run through the woods, but Draco seemed more skilled at the maze of fallen logs. Many times, Ginny tripped but quickly picked up again, running. 

Her heart beat wildly against her ribs, but she pushed out. Sighing, she leaned against a tree when she no longer heard Draco's footsteps behind her. 

She closed her eyes; she could see the fire merely a few steps ahead of her. Then –

"Got you!" 

Ginny screamed as Draco's hands grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and spun her around. His gray steel eyes bore into her frightened blue ones, making her shiver. His hand covered her mouth, and he held her so roughly she was forced to look at him. 

"Listen to me, Weasley," he snarled, his face close to hers. "I've got a job to do and you're here as an excuse to do it. Stay out of my way or I _will_ kill you. Understand?"

Ginny let out a tiny squeak. Draco took that as a yes and glared at her. "Good. Now, you will do as I say, or there will be some serious punishments going on. And you wouldn't want to get hurt, would you?" Ginny shook her head no. "Right. Didn't think so. Now – why don't we just get back on the broom and head towards the Mystic Lands, hmm? The sooner we get there, the sooner I'll have the Enchantress in my grasp and the sooner you can have Potter to your self." 

_Enchantress?_ Wondered Ginny. _Who? Hermione? Surely not._

But she went along with Draco. He had her this far from everything she knew, and she might as well go along with it now. He was stronger; stronger than her in magick and strength, and she knew if she were to beat him, it would have to be at the right time… the right moment…

And that was all she needed. 

**-**

Hermione was startled awake. She had fallen asleep against Harry's back, and had a strange vision of Ginny.   

She was with the warlock she had tried to save from the water, claiming he couldn't swim, and that she had seen something wrong in the moonlight. The same moonlight she was under at the moment. 

Then – she had run. Run so fast Hermione could still feel her heart beating fiercely against her own ribs. She had felt Ginny's fear and smelt her sweat, and heard the crash of the leaves and branches around her.

Ginny had seen something that frightened her and that frightened Hermione. What was she to do, here over the Ocean? She could do nothing but send her prayers. Even the Enchantress has limits. 

_"Goddess above, protect thy friend from all harm, may you watch over her in her times of need and send her comfort when it is most needed. Be thy friend and guide when thee is not near, Goddess above, wish you be near,_" repeated Hermione, mumbling the words as softly as she could. She didn't want anyone to be concerned of why she was praying, or ask any questions.            Finally, when she was done, she yawned and looked around. Behind her, there was nothing but the dark waters of the Ocean. She could not make out the small mountain range that had separated her coven from the Talamancaian clan anymore. Before her lay more water, but, there in the dark distance, she could swear she saw some twinkling. 

She even pointed this out to the insomniac Harry. He nodded. "Those are the watch lights of the guards," he informed her. "They're… merchants, really. They guard the coast line so that no Death Eaters would find there way into the richest cities on the Mystic Lands." 

She nodded, the small history lesson over and let her mind divulge the information. Finally, she left that enough time had passed between Harry and her that she could apologize correctly. 

"Harry?" she asked.  He gave a slight, "hmm" to indicate he was listening. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you earlier… it's just… I'm really in tune to nature and I prefer being surrounded in it rather than cowering in a tree trunk. It's not the way I grew up."

"I understand. I'm sorry for getting so worried over you," he turned back slightly and offered her a grin. "Though, you must understand, when Dumbledore gives me orders to protect you, I take them very seriously. I had no idea that witches were that harmonious to nature's way." 

"Not all," Hermione whispered. 

"Not all witches are?" asked Harry incredulously. 

"No. Didn't you notice the Seer? She was very afraid of the weather. I believe she doesn't trust her eyes as much as she trusts her inner senses," replied Hermione. 

Harry left out a chuckle. "So do I." 

They fell silent, watching the horizon bob up and down with the beat of the griffin's wings. Soon, they would be arriving at the coastline of the Mystic Lands, and then they would begin their journey to find Castle Lorien. Of course, with morning coming, and with magic running more wild and free there, Hermione would have to be extra careful. Some might sense her powers and notice her to be the Enchantress. She couldn't risk that. 

"You seem tense." 

"Just thinking about when we'll arrive at the Mystic Lands. And how we'll find Castle Lorien," admitted Hermione. Harry nodded. 

"I know. It seems so difficult. I don't even know why the Priest wanted us to go there. Perhaps the Enchantress will be there, and we shall be her guards?" he mused aloud. "Seems plausible."

"Also pretty _implausible_," replied Hermione. "If the Enchantress was there already, wouldn't everyone know about it?" 

"Probably. Maybe the Priests there can help us find the Enchantress." 

_You wouldn't need to by then, Harry,_ thought Hermione, but she said nothing. Together, they rode in silence, watching the sunrise. 

Today was a new day, and today was the day when they would finally reach the Mystic Lands, where anything was possible.

**-**

They landed just a few hours after the sun rose.  Of course, it would be far too conspicuous to travel into a city with blue griffins, but Harry decided that they were too tired to walk the ten miles. While they rode, Hermione took in the wonders of this, strange new place.

Trees were still the same, but the smell of the ocean was something different. The air held the smell of spices and salt, while other smells wafted in the wharf. Men were shouting things at each other, hellos and how much is a quarter pound of fish? Hermione could hardly believe it – men that _weren't_ warlocks! It was something she never knew before.

"Surprised?" asked Ron. 

"A little, yes," she admitted. Ron chuckled and nodded. 

"I was too when I first learnt of non-magical folk," he offered. Hermione, however, was still taking everything in. 

The street into the city was dirt at first, but the closer they got, the more cobbled stones there were, before they were walking on a modern street. Houses rose high above them, two stories, then four – all packed together, without any spaces breaking between them, unless a new block started. Women leaned out of windows high above them, dumping barrels of water onto the street. Rowdy men laughed as they hung out in groups outside pubs, and the street became filled with more people as they neared the city square.

It was a wide, open space, with grass and trees off to one side, and booths set up everywhere. 

As the four slid off of their water griffins, they began to look around from a hint, or anything that could lead them into knowing where Castle Lorien might be.

"I must be off," said Lavender, in her soft voice. "I shall return here in two hours. I pray tell that shall give you enough time to gather what you need?"

Without a reply, she took off, disappearing into the crowd. Ron wanted to go after her, stepping forward, but then drew back.

"Where to then?" he asked, looking around. "Not exactly the best place to start…"

Harry nodded. "Well… I am a bit hungry. How about we get something to eat?"

The other two agreed, all the while looking out for some warlock or Priest that could help them. Hermione found herself being overloaded with all this information. This place was something new to her. She had never seen so many non-magical people in one area, living their life from day to day. 

She walked down the narrow strips of street between venders, listening to voices shout out, "Fish for sale – get yer fish for sale!" and "How about a nice Shepard's Pie, there's a luv!"

They quickly decided that fruit would fill them up the most and stopped at a fruit cart. Hermione had never even _heard_ of such delicacies that were mentioned. Papaya, watermelon, bananas, pineapples. She hungrily stared at the pineapples, wondering what they tasted like. Would she have their sweet juice running down the side of her chin? Would she savor the first bite?

She was about to reach for one and inquire how much it would cost when a group of voice reached her ears. They were singing gaily, dressed in the oddest clothes she had even seen and were growing steadily closer towards where she stood. 

They wore patched clothes, though it resembled the current human fashion, and seemed to cause a ruckus amongst the folk in the city. They would sneer and curse at the group, and refuse to sell them anything. 

They came near the stall where Hermione stood, watching them. Harry and Ron were too bust, engrossed in the low prices of food they could get with their money, when one of the girls in the loud group stopped beside Hermione. 

" 'Allo, there," she said, with an accent Hermione had never heard before. "Ah'm Parvati Patil. And ya are ta be?"

"Hermione," the Enchantress replied, smiling at the young girl, who seemed to be her own age.

" 'Ermione." The girl repeated, the first part of Hermione's name being cut off. "Whut a name! Where are ya from?"

"Talamanca."

"Talamanca!" Parvati crowed. She turned around and waved to her friends, "Oy – Justin, Padma! Getta loada this – 'Ermione 'ere is from Talamanca!"

The three now crowded around Hermione, who looked helplessly back at Harry and Ron, who were still oblivious to the three around her, beside all the noise.

They began rapidly firing questions at Hermione, who didn't know how to answer them. Finally, she asked what was on her mind the whole time since she saw the dark colored girl, who had turned out to be Parvati Patil.

"_What_ are you?" she asked, looking at each of them in turn. There was a brief moment of silence before the three burst out laughing. Their other members came close, looking at stalls but not buying anything. 

"Why, we'd be nomads!" giggled Padma, Parvati's identical twin.

"Nomads?" asked a puzzled Hermione. "Um… what exactly are nomads?" 

Justin Finch-Fletchley turned to Parvati. "Whut should we say? Well… 'Ermione, we travel 'round. Nevar stay in one place, y'know? Should we tell 'er?"

Hermione felt her head twirl – their odd talk was making her go cross-eyed. She was about to open her mouth when the man minding the stall behind her shouted, "BLOODY GYPSY – STEALING OFFA ME, I'LL SHOW YOU!"

He reached forward and grabbed the nearest person to him, who happened to be another male gypsy named Colin Creevey, and pulled out a knife. At this moment, all the gypsies began to yell and swear at the stall owner, who began yelling back at them. City officials rounded the corner at all the noise and began grabbing the gypsies, who were biting, kicking and spitting on the city's watch. 

Hermione watched in fear and surprise. _What prejudice these people showed!_ She mused, but her thoughts were reined when a guard grabbed her upper arm.

"C'mon, Missy – inta the cell you go," he snarled, smelling of stale beer and other horrible odors.

"I'm not one of them! I just wanted a breakfast!" she began to protest. She yanked on her arm, trying to get out of the man's iron grip.

"That's what they all say," he growled.

Hermione finally lost herself into fatigue, and called out weakly, "Ron! Harry! HELP!!"

The two turned around, saw Hermione being pulled off by some guard, and jumped forward to attack him, their staffs out and ready to hex anyone, alas – not everything goes according to plan. 

They were grabbed from behind, and swung into the air by two very heavyset guards. These two began to pull Ron and Harry through the crowd, which had gotten a free show.             Not every day you see such a large number of gypsies be taken to the cells where they'd be executed tomorrow.

**-**

Hermione sighed and crossed her legs, trying to get more comfortable. The dampness of the cell was chilling her, and she wondered why she hadn't started sneezing yet. 

Harry was pitifully working on picking the lock, while all the gypsies that had been caught watched on. 

"Ya know, ya're nevar gonna get that," commented Colin, the one who nearly had his hand chopped off. 

"Sure I will," muttered Harry, never taking his eyes off the lock. 

"Nah," continued Colin. "Ah tried that on thata lock couple years back. Didn't do ta good."

Harry stopped now, staring at Colin. He blinked, but then sighed and rested against the wall his back was to. "So what now?"

"We wait," replied Parvati, who sat, piling stones on top of each other. 

"For what?" asked Ron.

"For tomorrow." 

"What so special about tomorrow?" Ron asked.

Parvati Patil looked up, shock written all over her features. "Ya mean ya don't know? Have ya evar been in a city cell?"

The trio shook their heads. 

"Well," she swelled, looking important, "then itsa best ta tell ya now, s'pose. At dawn, tomorrow, they take us outta here an' inta the courtyard. Then… they execute us."

**-**

Kneazle here, folks. How's it all going?? Hope you're all having a marvy time, if you're out of school, and if you're not, I feel your pain. I hope everyone liked this long-awaited chapter of "EDN"! Oh, and by the way – _wish me luck on my exams all next week!_ Well, with that said, leave a review, tell me what you thought! PS – no offenses towards anyone with the gypsy/nomads. I had said earlier that they are based on movie gypsies from the 16-century, etc, so take no offense!


	7. Enchantress of the Day and Night VI

Enchantress of the Day and Night

Kneazle

Disclaimer: All characters/ideas belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastics, etc, K.A. Applegate's EverWorld, Fern Gully: the Last Rainforest, Mist of Avalon (the movie), Aladdin, Ever After, Chocolat, The Count of Monte Cristo and from Enchantress of the Stars by Sylvia Louise Engdahl, Cirque De Soliel. Also, mostly my odd dreams take some ideas, Princess Mononoke by Hayao Miyazaki, The Vision of Escaflowne, Rayearth: the OVA, Record of Lodoss War, Tekken: The Motion Picture, Macross Plus, Blue Submarine No. 6, Pretty Solider Sailor Moon, Dragonball Z-GT, X-Men: Evolution, The Princess Bride, and from "Disney's Atlantis", Sweep by Cate Tiernan, and Circle of Magic by Tamora Pierce. Most information that is for the covens is based on Wicca, The Dragon's Tapestry, The Prism Moon and The Taker's Key by Martine Bates, Circle of Three by Isobel Bird, and most clan information is from Young Wizards Series by Diane Duane, Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones and Daughters of the Moon by Lynne Ewing. Information I use can be found at the following websites: Bibliomania, Wiccan.com and Feri.com. You can find other information just by surfing the net and looking for information on historical witches and wizards, and Wicca sites. ~AND~ the book that brought me out of my writer's block: Exodus by Julie Bertagna. 

Author's Note: please note that this story is an alternate universe and therefore, some characters MAY act out of character. They act according to their surroundings, or to the role they play, or to their history. ^_^. This story is also mostly MIXED COUPLES, but I promise that it will end up H/Hr, for sure. There will also be a couple of odd couplings, and because of the rating, there is some adult content in the story (sexual bantering, language, adult issues… etc).

Summary: AU – In a world where witches and warlocks battle over slavery rights, where no sex is seen as an equal, a precious few gather to change the races' views before the war between the two escalates into something that could be the beginning – or end – of an era. Previously titled "Of Witches and Warlocks".

Genres: fantasy, romance, action/adventure, and drama

Dedicated to: My father, because he keeps giving me too many story ideas, claiming, "they'll break up your writer's block!" Also, to my friends who keep encouraging me and saying my writing is great, and of course, my online friends and the reviewers. Stoneheart, ECR Potter, Fae Child, CG Anna…

Thank you.

**~**

Chapter Six

            "EXECUTE US?" screamed Hermione. Her eyes were wide and round in shock and horror. "What do you mean, 'execute us'???"

            Parvati rolled her dark eyes at Hermione. " 'Ermione, itsa just whut ah said. Execute us. Chop off yer 'ead. Feed ya ta the birds. Does that satisfy yah?"

            Gulping Hermione nodded. "So there's no way out of this?"

            "We nevar said that," grinned Justin. 

            "Well then what were you saying?" asked Ron dryly, leaning coolly back against a wall. He crossed his arms and stared at the sandy-blond haired man. 

            " 'Ell… yah see, if yah can get outta yer chains, there's a secret passage at ta end of ta cells, 'ere. Tap ta right brick and yer out," he finished, grinning smugly at Ron. Ron scowled back at him. 

            "Which brick is it?" asked Harry, craning his neck over his shoulder to get a view of the back wall. Hermione rolled her eyes, watching as he tried to get into a position that allowed him access to view the wall. 

            "We know which one it is…" began Parvati, "But if yah can get us out, we'll 'elp ya."

            Harry and Ron both slumped dejectedly. "We can't get out," Harry sighed. 

            Silence hung heavily in the air, until there was a snap and clang. All eyes swiveled to Hermione, who was rubbing red marks on her arms. Glancing up she said calmly, "You never asked if I could get out or not."

            "We thought ya were wit 'em!" Colin exclaimed, jerking his head in Ron's general direction, which growled. 

            "Hermione… how did you do that?" asked Harry quietly, watching the girl as she moved forward towards Harry. She gathered the ancient lock in her hand, closed her eyes, and within moments the lock fell heavily into her hands. She placed it quietly on the floor, before moving on to the next person. 

            When everyone was out of the chains, Parvati's twin sister, Padma, looked at Hermione with admiration. "Ya speak ta old ways, 'Ermione. There's not many people who could still do 'at."

            Harry and Ron shared a glance over Hermione's head, but she ignored them and asked, "Where's the secret passage out of this place?"

            Colin moved to the front of the group, motioning them to follow him. They weaved through torture chambers, prisoners' cells, and finally came to a wall that was covered with moss. Above them, through a small ventilation hole, they could hear the crowd from the market. Water dripped through the ventilation, making a small puddle on the floor. 

            Colin looked both ways before leaning forward and pressing his ear against the cool, damp stone. After a few seconds, he reached up with his right hand and pressed in a brick. There was a slight crunching noise, but soon the brick moved all the way in, leaving a small empty space as to where it had been. 

            A few seconds later, light began to seep between the cracks of the bricks, in a crude middle part. The light began to get stronger, before the bricks broke apart like two curtains being opened. 

            Everyone slowly began to pile through, hoping that none of the guards would come in and see if they were still there, since the screams of agony and horror disappeared a while back. 

            The passage leading them out of the cells was dark and clammy. Moss hung from the ceiling down, and water dripped from crystals hanging from the ceiling. Hermione felt a draft come around a dark corner with a swooping sound. It blew angrily against her face, biting at her cheeks and nose. Her hair whipped back, the force stinging her eyes as she closed them tightly against the onslaught. 

            "What the hell was that?" gasped out Ron after the wind disappeared. 

            "Oh, that was justa nice blast o' sea air, as this leads out ta an opening," explained Padma, grinning slightly. "How else do we know where ta go?"

            Ron rolled his eyes, and the group followed the escapees down the narrow, damp path. When they finally arrived at sharp L-shaped bend, Hermione opened her mouth to speak. 

            "Um… could someone please tell me where we'll be going so we don't get caught?" 

            Parvati stopped, and tapped a finger lightly against her lips. "Erm… ah guess we'll be 'eading ta the Enchanted Forest."

            "Enchanted Forest?" gulped Ron, paling slightly. "B-But there's… there's… werewolves and vampires and… and… SPIDERS!"

            Colin glanced over his shoulder and teased lightly, "Afraid of spiders, Ron?"

            Narrowing his eyes, the redhead snarled, "I am NOT!"

            "Then ya can lead us inta the Forest," said Padma, quirking an eyebrow. She flashed Ron a smile, before waving her hand at the L-bend. The bracelets on her arm jingled with the movement. "When we turn ya'll see the ocean. We 'ave our boats down there, so just hop on an' we'll be on our way."

            The group didn't say anything, so the nomads took it as acceptance. They began to walk again, their leather shoes tapping lightly against the uneven, rough floor surface. 

            Hermione gasped, bringing a hand up to shield her eyes as they rounded the bend. The sun was glittering off the green water, its light reflecting into the narrow passage, making the dark, damp, moss-crawling passage seem warm and cheery. 

            "Do the guards know of this passage?" asked Harry, glancing over his shoulder. 

            "Umm… ah don't know," replied Justin, shrugging slightly. "Maybe, maybe not. This passage 'as been 'ere for years, so ah don't know."

            "Great," said Ron, his word bitter. Hermione shot him an unreadable look, and he snapped his mouth shut. 

            Edging closer to the front of the group, Hermione glanced over to where Padma had stopped. "What are you waiting for?" she asked. 

            Padma turned and smiled. "We can't get down unless we 'ave ropes." Confusing was written on Hermione's face, and Padma laughed. " 'Ere, come an' see for yerself."

            Hermione slipped closer to where Padma was and nearly lost her balance. The passage ended abruptly, dropping into a cliff that had to be a hundred feet up. Below them waves crashed in an angry matter against the rock, its spray flying into the wind. In the distance, Hermione could see two large vessels sitting in the deeper part of the ocean.

            "And where are we going to get some ropes to climb down?" asked Hermione, rather sardonically. 

            Padma grinned. Leaning forward to her in conspiracy, she whispered, "Why don't ya make us some, Enchantress?"

            "WHAT?" shrieked Hermione, before lowering her voice and glowering at the nomad. "How do you know that?"

            "It was quite obvious from the moment we met," the girl replied, her thick accent disappearing. The two were oblivious to the crowd around them, who were listening in carefully. "If you ever need our help, Hermione – we'll be there, right beside you. All of us and our kind will."

            "Thank you," nodded Hermione, pulling herself up to full height. "You don't know just what this means to me at the moment. When the time comes, be assured that I will call on you – though I doubt I could ever repay the kindness you are showing me and my friends at the moment."

            "Ya'll figure sumthing out," grinned Padma, the accent returning. Smiling back, Hermione nodded and looked around the stone floor. 

            "Well, I suppose this shall do," the girl said, picking up a stone. 

            "Hermione, what are you planning on doing with that stone?" asked Ron, narrowing his eyes. Harry watched the scene quietly, the discussing before running through his head. There was something amiss here, but he didn't know just what it was. 

            Hermione glanced up at Ron, but said nothing as she looked back down at the rock, before running her hand over the smooth texture. Suddenly, something shifted in the air and at once the rock began to uncoil like a snake and turned into a sturdy rope, long enough to allow everyone to drop down into the water without hurting themselves. 

            Gapping openly, Ron finally stuttered, "H-How did you d-do that?"

            Hermione shrugged and answered vaguely, "Practice. I did a lot of transfiguration with my Professor back in Wycliffe."

            Ron accepted this answer, yet Harry remained stone-faced and suspicious. She didn't take him to be such a fool, did she? Couldn't she tell that he knew something was wrong?

            However Harry didn't say anything as he followed Padma, Justin and Colin down the rope, grasping it tightly in his gloved hands. Hermione followed above him, and Harry tried very hard not to look up out of habit and get a noticeably good view of Hermione's backside. Blushing furiously, he continued to climb down at a quick speed and jumped into the water before Justin had even jumped off two people below him. 

            The cool water soothed his raging hormones, and Harry felt grateful that there was nothing else against him. 

            When everyone was in the water, they began to breaststroke against the waves towards the vessels, when they heard cries and shouts above them. Glancing up, they spotted the guards looking scandalous and angry – Harry supposed they were the first prisoners to ever escape them. 

            "WOOOO!" shouted Justin, waving his arms. "HAHA, TAKE THAT!!"

            Hermione echoed them, cheering and hollering at the same time and splashing the water as she treaded. Glancing at Harry she asked, "Aren't you going to cheer? We survived, we're not dying tomorrow morning!"

            "But you forgot about Lavender – you know, the Seer!" protested Ron. Hermione rolled her eyes. 

            "Honestly, Ron – if she's a Seer, she probably saw that and that's why she left… so she wouldn't get into trouble. She'll find us again. We'll be fine."

            Ron wanted to retaliate that comment but as he opened his mouth a wave crashed into him, making him sputter and choke on the sea water. 

            Laughing, Hermione said, "C'mon, we don't want to be left behind." She then continued to swim powerfully towards the other nomads, her movements precise and consistent. 

            As she boarded, Parvati handed her a cloak to keep her warm. "Thanks," she said. 

            Parvati bowed and grinned, "Not a problem, Enchantress."

            Hermione was startled for a few moments before she gained her voice back. Nervously, Hermione looked over at Harry and Ron, who were just clambering aboard. "I'd really appreciate it if you don't say anything about that anymore. They don't know who I am, so please – Hermione will do fine."

            Parvati nodded. "As you wish, Hermione."

            "Thanks again," replied the year-grieved teen. She had such a burden on her shoulders, and had barely a life when everything began to crumble around her. Save the world, fight the bad guy, and still have fun and be a teenager in the meantime? It just wasn't possible.

            As Hermione watched the surging waves crash against the side of the boat, and heard Ron sputtering in the background of the unfairness of being wet, she wondered just where these people would take them – would they reach their destination, and how long would it be before Harry and Ron found out who she was? She couldn't hide her true birthright for such a long time… and as soon as they reached Castle Lorien, well… they would know, and their friendship would suffer. 

            Hermione didn't want that. She had begun to respect and enjoy the company of these two males… before she would have doubted that she even would give them a second glance unless they were captured by the Days – she shuddered at the thought, and Harry, misjudging it for a shiver of the brisk ocean wind, wrapped a discarded blanket around her. 

            "Cold?" he asked, their disagreements behind them. 

            "Not really, but thank you," said Hermione, her lips tight. If Ginny would be around, the girl would die of laughter saying she looked like her old school teacher, Minerva. Then again, she wasn't, so nothing was said. 

            The boat moved forward, a lulling up-down motion that was a like a flowing river… endless and continued on until they were to reach their destination. The winds blew them strong and forcefully out into the open waters of Ino, blowing them far from the strange and exotic land that Hermione had experienced for a precious few hours. 

            "How did you manage to get your lock off?" Harry finally asked. Hermione started at the question, and turned her head slightly to look at him. Her brown, now dirty, ringlets of hair blew past her face and she lifted a hand to hold them back so she could watch him. 

            "Why do you ask?" she held her breath. Did he know…?

            Harry shrugged. "Well, it seemed weird that you hadn't done it earlier or anything… and it was strong magick, that's all."

            "Oh…" Hermione bit her lip and looked back out at the green waters. Should I tell him? She wondered, frowning slightly. What would he say? Well, it isn't like he could go anywhere, she rationalized, and if anything, he would be glad to know now, rather than later…

            "Harry"—began Hermione, opening her mouth to say who she truly was. 

            "STORM BREWING!" called a voice from high above the two. Hermione glanced up and saw Colin up on this box-like platform, holding tightly on to a post. "DUE EAST!"

            "We're sailing right into it!" called another voice – Parvati's. She would've said more if it weren't for the killer wave that slammed into the side of the boat, making it tip. 

            There were a few screams, but most people on the boat began running around, making sure the oars where still attached, the sails weren't going to fly off, and there were at least two people up at the stern. 

"Hermione, hang on to something!" shouted Harry, grabbing Hermione around the waist and wrapping a rope tight around her hips, securing it with a double knot. 

            She screamed as another wave rolled into the ship, making it teeter uncontrollably. Someone cried out above the roar of the waves, "We're turning over!"

            Hermione, knowing that they would die if the ship did roll, and somehow stayed that way, had to do something. 

            She furrowed her brow as she concentrated hard on something in front of her – a focal point. It was Ron, hanging on tightly to the rail, muttering (probably prayers) under his breath. 

            She concentrated on the waves around them, the water and the air. She made herself become one with the waves – she felt the roll, the laziness and fury they controlled; she felt the lull of riding the waves like she never had before… her whole being, her whole self had seemed to spread around in an unrestrained mass. 

            Coming to her senses and leaving the pure ecstasy of riding the waves behind, she concentrated hard on making them obey her command to disperse, to become calm again. 

            Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead, and trickle down the undersides of her arms and back of her neck. She wasn't sure if it was all sweat though – her hair was sticky and clumping together from the salty water, and her eyes stung. 

            After a couple more minutes, Hermione began to get dizzy from concentrating. She began to see black spots dance across her vision, just as she felt the boat slowly rock to a systematic roll that it had before the storm tossed up. 

            Sun peaked out from behind a cloud, and before long, the water was a sparkling blue-green, with a slight salty breeze that was strong enough to get the passengers of the boat calm and moving towards their destination. 

            Hermione, however, was exhausted. She had never done anything remotely close to trying to control the elements, and it had taken its toll on her. She slumped against Harry, who was cheering along with the other members of the crew at the success of escaping the storm. 

            He suddenly stopped when he felt Hermione lean against him, and in worry and surprise he looked down at the pale, trembling girl. 

            "Hermione? Hermione, what's wrong?" his voice began to rise to hysteria as he looked around the deck. "Parvati! Ron! Someone – Hermione's fainted, or is ill – I don't know what to do!"

            Parvati rushed over, glancing at the girl and then frowning. She felt for her pulse, and found it strong and steady. A thought crossed her mind and her mouth formed an "o".

            "She will be fine. We'll let her rest in the Captain's Quarters. Follow me."

            Harry followed mutely, gulping and rearranging Hermione in his arms for maximum comfort. 

            The Captain's Quarters were small yet comfy, with a red and gold fluffy bed and bookcase filled with books on the Talamancaian Woods. His homeland. 

            Sighing, Harry placed Hermione on the bed and Parvati put a quilt over the girl's shivering body. Following Harry's gaze, Parvati smiled. 

            "We barter a lot with the covens and clans in the Talamancaian area. Or," her face darkened, "We used to."

            "What happened?" inquired Harry, turning to look at the olive-skinned girl. 

            "Something. I don't know how to explain it in words, but you feel it. The entire coven's we went to were destroyed, everything down to the last blade of grass. But there was a presence there… a presence of something that was… given a word… evil."

            Parvati then turned and left the Captain's Quarters, leaving Harry and Hermione by themselves, and Harry with his thoughts. 

**-**

            Ginny had never been so frightened in her whole life. She was stuck with a Death Eater of sorts, who was obsessed with finding her best friend, Hermione, stealing her away from someone she wasn't even courting and someone Ginny absolutely adored to smithereens, Harry Potter, and kill her brother Ron because he was a jerk. That made absolutely no sense to her. At all. 

            Now they were flying over the Ino Ocean, trying to reach the spot where Draco was tracking Hermione and the others. Apparently, he said, they had landed between Skye City, and the Bay of the Day. From there, they went a bit out into the Bay, and then disappeared, which had made Draco very, very angry. 

            Did Ginny mention she was frightened? 

            Now she had the wind biting her cheeks and nose, and she was shivering, as she pressed unconsciously closer to Draco's back. He was flying neck-breaking speeds to get to their last location. He was sure that someone would remember them there. It wasn't took hard to forget someone with shockingly red hair, a young man with ebony hair and a weird scar on his forehead and a bushy-haired, bucktooth girl. 

            At least, Draco hoped. He had doubts since he agreed to this mission. He hadn't wanted to do it, but Dumbledore and Snape seemed insistent to the point of bodily harming him. But that didn't mean he had to like it. Besides having Ginny tagging along, they were flying over water, which was something Draco had feared from the very first day he could remember.

            During his musings, he had neglected to look at the horizon, and was startled when Ginny whimpered out, "ooh, that looks like trouble."

            He followed the shaking finger and nearly swore out loud. He did pale, but there was no difference since his skin was naturally pale. 

            Storm clouds were swirling dangerous together, and he could see the lightning flashing in the distance. Faint rumblings echoed across the water below them some hundred feet, which had begun to become choppy with whitecaps. 

            "Can we go around it?" asked Ginny, her voice shaking with fear. Draco could also feel her shaking against his back, and knew that the storm wasn't her only reason to be afraid. Sighing, he wondered if there would be anyone out there that wasn't afraid of him. 

            "I don't know… I don't think so. This is the most direct route to the Bay of the Day…" Draco let his voice trail off, the drawl his twanging in it. Almost reluctantly, he pointed the broom handle towards the storm, and shot off towards it, Ginny clasping his waist so tightly, he wondered when he would stop breathing. 

            Only after a few moments, they were soaked to their skin, bracing themselves against a gale-like wind that was trying to blow them off course and spinning uncontrollably into the choppy waters below. 

            Gripping the handle tightly, Draco gritted his teeth. There was no way out of this storm, and he was having a hard time keeping the broom on course and going straight. 

            "We're not going to make it!" Ginny screamed. Her death grip on Draco made him choke and let go of the broom handle to remove her hands from his stomach. 

            Everything went in slow motion… the broom dipping, their screams of horror as they began to plunge headfirst into the dark, deadly waters…

            Draco went under first, and his grip on Ginny's hand was wrenched away from his, as he was submerged in the current, twisting and turning him so much that he didn't know what way was up anymore. His lungs burned with the need to inhale oxygen; Draco began kicking in the way he hoped was up to air.

            Soon, he broke the surface of the ocean, flailing his arms as he desperately tried to stay afloat. It occurred to him that he couldn't swim, and he would sink he if didn't find something to grab on to.

            "Draco!" Ginny's voice called, and soon the girl was beside him. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and instructed him to lie flat on his back – which he did and promptly began to float against the rough waters. 

            Together, the two coughed and sputtered when a wave crashed over them, or pulled them further and further away from the direction they had wanted to go in. 

            It seemed like years until the waters began to calm and the sun broke out of the clouds. Sighing in relief, they bobbed like a cork in the water, hoping that Draco's broom would be around them somewhere, but they saw nothing but the bright flickering of light reflected against the water. 

            "How do I get into these messes?" finally muttered Draco. 

            "Eh?" asked Ginny, looking down at him. "What messes?"

            "Nothing," he sighed, spreading his arms out as wide as they could go. He didn't want to tell Ginny the real reason behind his anger, his scorn, or his Dark Mark. Or how he got into all those messes in the first place – his life was a big mess, anyway. 

            They fell silent, both lost in their own thoughts. 

**-**

            Seamus and Dean followed Oliver, near the front of the Knights as they walked through dense brush and forest. They had been uncomfortable since they had joined up with the loud, raucous group. Mead was passed along the single-filed line, and rowdy jokes where shouted and shared. They were not a group to be inconspicuous, Dean and Seamus noticed early on. 

            Oliver, whom they found out, led the group like dogs but was one of the nicest (yet most insane) people they met. He would push the group to their limits, and even showed Seamus with much patience how to maneuver the staff he carried. 

            "Where are we heading?" Seamus asked, on their third day of the journey. They had reached the Talamancaian coastline, and in the distance, they could spot the remains of two camps that had been hastily put out. 

            "The Mystic Lands, o' course," replied Oliver. 

            "How?" gapped Dean. "We've got no mode of transportation!"

            Oliver laughed and motioned for another Knight named Cedric to come over, with his friend, Ryan Kips. " 'Ave you 'eard of apparation?" Oliver spoke the last word carefully. 

            Seamus shook his head, and Dean looked confused. Oliver sighed. 

            "It's when ya disappear from one spot and appear instantly in another," he explained, looking at the two younger men. "We use the staffs to emphasize our powers and help us apparate over long distances of space. We'll joint apparate, 'lright?"

            Seamus nodded, and placed a grip on Oliver's staff, which hummed when he touched it. Oliver grinned cheekily at him. "Ahh… looks like you've got whut it takes ta be one o' us, chap."

            Dean laughed full heartily, and grasped Cedric's. Ryan Kips was to lead the Knights when Oliver was going to be more careful in concentrating on the joint apparation. 

            Within seconds, the group appeared in the Mystic Lands, in a dense forest that was not unlike the Talamancaian Woods. Tall pine trees, surrounded by a cloak of green everywhere the eye could see – it was truly an enchanted place, the Knights had to agree. 

            Birds sang in the forest, and there was an occasional growl from some animal hidden in the sense foliage. 

            Sighing, Dean spoke softly, "where do we go from here?"

            Oliver frowned, looking at the sky, before kneeling and rubbing some of the soil in his hands. 

            "We're near the Lake of Apollo, mates," he announced, standing. "The soil here is more fertile, and richer. We'll walk towards the lake, and then to the Northwest, in the direction of the Isle of Marquis, where Castle Lorien is. And hopefully we'll find Hermione – our Enchantress – along the way."

            The group murmured their agreements, and fell silent. The quest had officially begun.

**~**

Author's Notes: Okay, my hands are tired, my fingers hurt, and I seriously can't write any more to this chapter. So I hope this satisfies the want of EDN lovers for a while, at least… I've been busy with modeling and school, so writing hasn't been often. I wrote most of this tonight, and quickly too, so I hope it make sense. Have fun, and leave a review!


	8. Enchantress of the Day and Night VII

Enchantress of the Day and Night

Kneazle

Disclaimer: All characters/ideas belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastics, etc, K.A. Applegate's _EverWorld_, _Fern Gully: the Last Rainforest_,_ Mist of Avalon (the movie)_, _Aladdin_, _Ever After_, _Chocolat_, _The Count of Monte Cristo_ and from _Enchantress of the Stars_ by Sylvia Louise Engdahl, Cirque De Soliel. Also, mostly my odd dreams take some ideas,** Princess Mononoke** by Hayao Miyazaki, **The Vision of Escaflowne**, **Rayearth: the OVA**, **Record of Lodoss War**, **Tekken: The Motion Picture**, **Macross Plus**, **Blue Submarine No. 6**, **Pretty Solider Sailor Moon**, **Dragonball Z-GT**, _X-Men: Evolution_, _The Princess Bride_, and from "Disney's Atlantis", _Sweep_ by Cate Tiernan, and _Circle of Magic_ by Tamora Pierce. Most information that is for the covens is based on Wicca, _The Dragon's Tapestry, The Prism Moon _and_ The Taker's Key _by Martine Bates, _Circle of Three_ by Isobel Bird, and most clan information is from _Young Wizards Series_ by Diane Duane, _Lord of the _Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, _Hexwood_ by Diana Wynne Jones and _Daughters of the Moon_ by Lynne Ewing. Information I use can be found at the following websites: Bibliomania**,** Wiccan.com **and** Feri.com. You can find other information just by surfing the net and looking for information on historical witches and wizards, and Wicca sites. **~AND~** the book that brought me out of my writer's block: _Exodus_ by Julie Bertagna; the movie (2001) _Brotherhood of the Wolf (Pacte de Loups)_.

Author's Note: please note that this story is an alternate universe and therefore, some characters **MAY** act out of character. They act according to their surroundings, or to the role they play, or to their history. ^_^. This story is also mostly MIXED COUPLES, but I **_promise_** that it will end up H/Hr, for sure. There will also be a couple of odd couplings, and because of the rating, there is some adult content in the story (sexual bantering, language, adult issues… etc).

Summary: AU – In a world where witches and warlocks battle over slavery rights, where no sex is seen as an equal, a precious few gather to change the races' views before the war between the two escalates into something that could be the beginning – or end – of an era. Previously titled "Of Witches and Warlocks".

Genres: fantasy, romance, action/adventure, and drama

Dedicated to: My father, because he keeps giving me too many story ideas, claiming, "they'll break up your writer's block!" Also, to my friends who keep encouraging me and saying my writing is great, and of course, my online friends and the reviewers. Stoneheart, ECR Potter, Fae Child, CG Anna…

Thank you.

**~**

Chapter Seven

            "My minions!" cried the voice of their Dark Lord, smooth like honey yet filled with malice and unspoken threats. 

            The cave was dark and eerily silent, with the exception of the water dripping from the ceiling as the rain fell steadily outside the cave. Torches lined the outermost corners of the chamber, leaving little light and the mind run amuck with the shadows dancing around them, flickering in the fire like demons. Some would even swear that that was what they truly were. 

            "What news do you bring me of the Enchantress?" the Dark Lord asked again, his voice a mere hiss. 

            One man stepped forward. Severus Snape bowed, a sweeping gesture that brought a twitch to the Dark Lord's mouth. 

            "Speak," he commanded in a cool tone. 

            Severus looked up for a moment before opening his mouth to speak. "She and her… _guardians_… arrived in Skye City not more than two nights ago. City guards captured them with a band of gypsies, milord, before escaping. They have since then disappeared off our tracker – however, young Mister Malfoy is on their trail. I have reason to believe that they will do their hardest to reach Castle Lorien as soon as possible."

            "I see." The Dark Lord's long, pale fingers stroked the side of his throne thoughtfully. His red eyes narrowed, before he voiced, "Well, then," with joy, "I suppose I shall send a few of you to the Mystic Lands then." His eyes narrowed once more, and his voice took on a new, different chill. "Find the Enchantress and bring her back here – but kill the others if they resist in any way."

            He then grabbed his staff and waved towards the crowd – only a few felt the sting on their arms, signaling they were the first wave to go and find the young girl. 

            She – and her guardians – would have no idea what was coming.

**-**

            Harry stepped out of Hermione's room, his brows furrowed together as he moved around the deck, deep in thought. 

            There was something evil in the Talamancaian Woods that he knew – that was why they always have had the Days and Nights; they were Amazons, used and bred to be fighters where they would take out anything suspicious… or of the opposite sex. Alas, Harry had never known just how _evil_ and _great_ the thing was. Destroying whole covens that the Days or the Nights did not do? It surpassed his mind, seeing that then this evil would have to be extremely strong. 

            "Knut for your thoughts?" asked a voice. Harry started; he had not realized that he had stopped walking and was currently standing still in the middle of the deck. He turned his head to see Ron's grinning – and slightly green – face look at him. A frown passed over his redheaded friend's features. 

            "Something wrong, Harry?" he asked, all silliness forgotten. 

            Harry shrugged. "Something is on my mind, that's all Ron."

            "Oh," a look of understanding passed over his face. He smiled again, though. "Hermione will be fine. She's probably just seasick or something."

            A horrified look passed over Harry's face. "What? Are you saying that I like that… that bossy – know-it-all – rude…?"

            "Stuck up girl?" Ron finished for him. "Of course."

            Harry's jaw dropped slightly, as he stared at his best friend. "You're bloody joking, Ron. That isn't funny. Stop – stop… being a prat."

            Ron shook his head. "I'm not being a prat, Harry – I'm stating the obvious. It's apparent that you're attracted to her, and not by any means of bonding, either. The two of you just seem to… click," he finished lamely, shrugging at the word he used. 

            Harry just gapped at his friend, struggling to find some kind of comeback when Colin's voice echoed down from high above them. The skilled skipper scaled down the mast, turning and twisting and racing across the narrow beams to shout, "MEN OVERBOARD!"

            That phrase got everyone in action; they found boats, floating devices and anything that could possibly help the persons who had been bobbing in the water, apparently, for a couple of hours anyway. 

            Harry and Ron raced over to the side of the boat, and leaned over the rail. Narrowing their eyes, Harry sputtered, "Ron – doesn't that one have a shock of red hair, like yours?"

            Ron also narrowed his eyes and squinted into the fading sunset. His eyes flew open as he began shouting, "GINNY! GINNY!" over and over again, before racing to the front of the vessel where Padma, Justin and a few others were tying a rope together. 

            Harry gasped, and started after Ron, shouting at the others, "That's his sister in the water there!"

            That got everyone moving, as their speed increased and Harry watched in awe at the skill their fingers worked. He felt useless, so he moved into the shadows of the group, watching the boat pull as close as it could to the two people floating in the water. The rope was lowered and Justin jumped into the ocean, pulling one man first to the rope, and then Ginny. 

            Harry and Ron stood back, silent with tension. They saw Parvati lean over the side of the boat where the plank was, and reached to help someone. They grasped a pale hand, and yanked the man up on board, where he coughed and placed a wet hand to his soaking clothes as he leaned over to spit out salt water from his mouth. 

            Only when he stood straight, and brushed the platinum blond hair out of his eyes, did Ron and Harry know who the young man was. 

            "Malfoy?!"

**-**

            His hair was soaked, and he wasn't in a good mood – after all, he had just been floating in ocean water for the past two hours. Wet and disgruntled he was; patient and dry he was not.

            "What?" he sneered, narrowing his eyes at the two shocked teens in front of him. Secretly, he was relived it was them and not a band of Death Eaters. It was also his good fortune because he knew Hermione – the Enchantress – was on the boat as well.

            "W-Why were you in the ocean," began Harry, his voice shaking with furry, "and with Ginny?"

            "None of your business, Potty," sneered Draco, before grabbing the towel that Padma was offering him. He then stalked off towards the Captain's Quarter of the boat, where he yanked open the chestnut door. He stepped inside, and stopped dead in his tracks. 

            Hermione was a sleep on the bed, her breathing even and deep. Draco watched her a bit, wondering what to do. He could roll up his sleeve, press the Dark mark on it and tip off the Dark Lord where the Enchantress was… or…

            He could not do anything. He would still need to contact Snape, f course, but—

            His thoughts were interrupted as the door opened and Harry and Ginny (still wet) stepped in. 

            "What are you doing here?" snarled Harry, taking a threatening step closer to Draco and the still sleeping Hermione. 

            "Nothing Harry – I'm leaving now," said Draco, his drawl as strong as ever. As he left the Quarter, a voice in his head began the usual "Harry, the Wonder Boy" Rant.

            _Perfect, perfect Potter. Merlin above, how I hate his guts, always doing the right thing… or so he thinks. He thinks he's all high and mighty, super amazing, and the donkey's shit. Everyone loves me, Oooh, look, I'm Potter, watch me prance around with my knickers above my _– 

            "You know, you look like a drowned rat," offered a voice, slightly behind him and in the shadows. 

            Draco turned; ready to snarl at the person who _dared_ to interrupt his thoughts about Boy Wonder. 

            "And just _what_ did you think calling me a rat would do?" he huffed. "I prefer looking more like a drowned _dragon_."

            "Well, then," said the person, stepping out from the shadows in slightly in the light. "I just find it interesting to see the way that you all interact. Funny how you all depend on each other."

            "We do not!" said Draco indignantly. 

            "Sure you do… you just don't know it yet," smiled the young man, before melting into the shadows. 

            "Hey!" gasped out Draco, taking two large steps and colliding with a solid wall. Rubbing his nose, and glanced around and swore under his breath. "Damn it…"

**-**

            Hermione's eyes fluttered slightly as she felt her drowsiness slowly leaving her. She wished she had never done water magick – it had left her extremely weak and tired, and she was sure that she had passed out for more than a few seconds. 

            She didn't have to wait long to know approximately what time it was, because the faint smell of food made her stomach growl. 

            "Steady on," she whispered into the dark room. The moonlight shone in through the small barred window, lighting the doorway out. The door was open, beckoning Hermione to leave the dark confinements of the room she was in. 

            Why had no one waken her? She was so hungry, and she was sure that everyone had now figured out that she was the Enchantress. _Oh,_ she moaned, _just add that to my growing list of stress!_

            Instead, as Hermione moved out of the room, she heard the faint whispers of swingy blues traveling over the still night. Hermione walked out of the room, through the hallway and closer to the music. 

            The boat rocked gently against the soft lull of waves hitting its side, but Hermione moved steadily on. She heard the laughter and cries of people having a good time and felt her heart drop from her ribs to her stomach. 

            _Always the odd one out,_ she sighed in her mind, looking up to see a mirage of stars glittering high, high above her in the inky black sky that seemed to go on forever. Looking into the West, Hermione saw the red sun setting, casting a deep blood reddish glow across the water and basking everything with an ethereal light. 

            A shout of laughter caught Hermione's sharp ears, making her head turn towards the noise. With no one left on board, Hermione wondered how she was to make it to shore, since all the boats alongside the galleon were gone. 

            _What am I thinking? I am the Enchantress, I can ask the water to help me get across, you silly witch you,_ thought Hermione, smiling calmly as she leaned over the boat's edge. 

            "Hello," she murmured to the water, which shimmered and glowed a pale, dull blue before bubble escaped and floated towards the surface. "Fancy giving me a lift to the shore?"

            Before she could utter another world, a small spout of water burst from the bubbled area, stopping at a perfect level for Hermione to step on its jets. At first tentative, she eyed the top of the spout with much disdain. _Would it hold?_ She wondered, before placing her foot on the white-ish, flat, top. 

            It held her weight, and comfortable, Hermione placed the rest of her body on its spout and laughed in glee as it allowed her to ride across the yard or so to the shore, where a bonfire was built. Lowering itself the closer it came to the shore, Hermione jumped off, just getting the bottom of her pants wet. 

            "Thank you," she murmured gratefully, before the spout collapsed and bubbled. She turned and walked towards the bonfire. The closer she got, the happier she became when she saw the large band of nomads that were sailing their galleon talking to Harry and Ron, and a whole lot full of other people much like their sailors. 

            "Hermione! You're awake!" someone shouted. Hermione inclined her head a bit to see Ginny waving madly at her, from her spot beside Harry (sitting a little too close for Hermione's comfort, as the jealous green-eyed monster began to appear), and Ron. 

            "Hello Ginny, Harry, Ron," smiled Hermione as she appeared near them. She could feel the roaring fire burn against her pale skin, but accepted the seat beside Ginny, on the outermost edge of the log they were sitting on. It barely had enough room for her to place her buttocks on, but the end was also dewy and moldy.  

            "Perhaps I will stand," she said instead, eyeing the patch that she was supposed to sit. Didn't Ginny see that when she sat? Or was she purposely trying to get her dirty?

            "'ave ya eat'n? No, 'course ya 'aven't," came Parvati's familiar voice. Hermione felt Parvati's fingers wrap around her upper arm, before she dragged the teen towards a more quiet area. 

            Hermione sent a dark glare over Parvati's shoulders to Ginny, who was laughing at something Harry and Ron said. "What's she up to?" Hermione practically snarled. 

            Parvati sighed, smiling softly. "She fancies 'Arry."

            Hermione rolled her eyes. "Wonderful." She then turned to Parvati with worry in her eyes. "Do they… do they know who I… am?" she asked carefully. They were not completely out of the hearing range of certain members of their band, and Hermione noticed more than one perk up at their sudden change of topic. 

            Parvati shook her head. "Nah… an' ah doubt they'll get it for 'nother while. Yer safe… fer now. Anyways… don't stray too far from camp. There's something sinister in da woods t'night… see ya later, 'Ermione."

            Hermione nodded, smiling and bidding Parvati farewell as she listened to the jaunty tunes that a guitar player sung out, with his four friends, all playing different instruments ranging from lutes to fiddles. 

            Hermione was paying so much attention to the fact that everyone was up and dancing, eating or getting drunk that she didn't hear the snapped twig until it was too late – and the two strong arms grabbed her from behind, pulling her into the dense woods.

**-**

            Oliver, Leader of the band of this loud, rowdy bunch of Knights, was thoroughly confused. They – his men and those two younger ones that the Priest had sent – had been walking for hours at an end, and they had yet to reach the Lake of Apollo. Oliver had figured that they were going in the generic Southwest direction, but maybe he had underestimated the position of the sun. He was never good at telling time anyways…

            But that still didn't make up for the fact that he was lost. Well, lost wasn't the correct way of putting it. More likely he knew where he was coming from, and where he was going. He just didn't know where he was at the moment. And he was sure something would happen soon that he could use as the directional guide. 

            And then, miracles happened – they reached a clearing. 

            "Gods above," muttered Dean, looking at what was before them. 

            It was nothing really, just a deserted camp with a fire's embers still slightly glowing. However, what caught their attention was the Dark Mark (a skull with a serpent coming out of its mouth) was drawn into the sandy ground. A discarded branch lay near by. 

            "There are Death Eaters around here," mumbled Ryan, looking over his shoulder uncomfortably. 

            "I think it's best if we keep moving, in this direction," said Oliver, pointing opposite where they were with his staff. "It's the best way to move, and it's the direction that they Death Eater's took… that way we can hunt them at most and keep some information out of them if need be." He was about to open his mouth and say more when a blood-curling scream filled the forest. 

            Birds scattered above them, and bushes moved as small animals scurried away in fright. Oliver glanced over his shoulder once, and without a second thought, he and his Knights took off at a run through the forest, jumping logs and ducking branches to arrive where they heard the scream. 

            Oliver, Seamus and Cedric arrived there first, hunching in berry bushes and peaking through its leaves to catch a glimpse of what was going on. 

            They saw a brown-haired teenager tied to a stake that was nearly twice her length, ropes cutting into her skin enough to draw blood. Around them were at least ten men, all wearing bushy fur-lined jerkins. They had high, knee-length leather boots, and spoke in heavy accents that Oliver and the others couldn't decipher. With the fact that light was scarce and their only source was now the moon and scattered stars above them, Oliver felt his heart clench tightly. 

            He could hear a faint note of music coming somewhere from his right, but it was too far away to tell, and was being carried by a soft breeze coming off the ocean. 

            "What shall we do?" asked Seamus, whispering. His eyes blazed and his whole posture screamed out "FIGHT!"

            "Nothing yet. We don't know how many of them there are, or who the girl is for that matter," Oliver was about to say more when two of the men began to talk. 

            "Vell, vhat vill ve do vith the girl?" asked one with a hooknose, heavy fringe and dark, dark brown hair that fell in thick blocks across his forehead.

            "Think Viktor! This girl is very strong!" said the second, a tall spindly man with thinning hair. "We could use her to get to some of that gypsy gold that I'm sure her friends have… or even better, bond her to you and use her as a slave!"

            The one named Viktor moved his position from blocking the face of the girl, and when he did, Oliver moaned out quietly, "It's the Enchantress, blokes."

            There was a collective sound of the Knights shifting position and muttering dark things under their breath. 

            "Now what?" sighed Dean, running a hand through his hair. 

            Oliver looked around, before sighing dejectedly, "we can only wait… and see what happens."

**-**

            Hermione's eyes moved back and forth. Since she had been kidnapped from the gypsy camp, she had not uttered a word, and they had not gagged her. But they also didn't know who she was and thought that tying her up would do the trick of keeping her magick stilled. 

            In any other situation, Hermione would've been able to get herself out of the mess, and she had been working on it until she heard the word "bond". Then, she started to panic. 

            She had never seen a bonding, nor wanted to participate in one. Wouldn't it be ironic for her to be bonded to a warlock when she was to free those from bonding?

            Hermione watched with guarded eyes the scene unfolding before her, but voiced her opinion on the bonding. "You know, I don't think that bonding me is a very good idea."

            "She speaks!" cried a bounty hunter from the back of the group. Yes, Hermione had long figured out what they were – bounty hunters trying to make money off of her. Wonderful, she deducted. 

            Rolling her eyes, Hermione resisted the urge to spit out some witty remark. 

            "Vell, vell… vhat is your name, girl?" asked the one called Viktor. 

            "Hermione, dunderheads," she replied. 

            "Herm-own-ninny," mused aloud Viktor. Hermione tried not to cringe at the coarse sounding form her name was coming from the oaf's mouth. Yet, she didn't try to correct him. She was trying to worm her hands out from the rope, but it was fairly new and made recently, so she couldn't tell it to go back to where it came from. 

            "Viktor, stop talking to the girl and let's get the bonding along!" snapped the tall man. 

            "Fine, Karkaroff," snapped back Viktor. "But then I vill get acquainted vith my new bondling."

            Karkaroff nodded, and Hermione felt fear wrap itself around her stomach and heart. _Cripes, this is not how my destiny is supposed to go…_ she thought with panic. 

            She was about to open her mouth and scream out some sort of earth-spell to help her, when there was a loud battle cry from three different directions.

            Out from her left, Hermione saw Oliver, captain of the Knights that she had freed back in Talamanca. From her right, she saw a very blond, pale young man jump out of the bushes holding what appeared to be some twisted form of the staff, yet immensely smaller. And from in front of her and from Viktor's back, Hermione saw Harry jumped through the bushes and slam into the nearest Bounty Hunter, making him fall on the ground with a loud, "oof!"

            Oliver then whacked someone over the head with his staff and yelled, "ATTACK!"

            From the bushes on her left came a dozen Knights, all bearing staffs and battle attire. They, like Oliver, wore dark black button-up shirts under a brown leather vest, and greenish pants tucked into black leather knee-height boots. They also had metal wrist guards with designs of leaves and vines creeping about them, and shin guards of a similar pattern – yet they wore them and moved with them like they had no weight. Hermione suspected that they were magical. 

            Ron raced to Hermione's side during the small battle as Bounty Hunters tried to ward off magical warlocks and Knights, all bearing swords and staffs. 

            "Are you all right?" asked Ron. 

            "Do I bloody look all right?" screamed Hermione, over the noise of swords clashing with daggers and the moans of men who fell. 

            Ron grinned and pulled out a dagger to cut the ropes off. He moved through them, cursing every so often when it took longer than necessary to break the binds. Finally, when she was free, Hermione fell to the ground, and hugged it as best as she could. 

            "Mmm," she said, kissing the soil. "I never though I would see the day when I would do this…"

            Ron watched with amusement before he pulled Hermione up. They saw that the battle was nearly over, and the last few Bounty Hunters ran off into the woods, trying to regroup and form a tighter band. 

            Harry placed his staff back at his side, as did Oliver. The pale teen Hermione recognized as Draco placed his very short staff into a holder on his side. 

            "Hermione, are you okay?" asked Harry, moving closer to the dirty and disheveled girl. Hermione glanced at him, offering a small smile. 

            "Of course," she replied. She then turned to Oliver, and he in turn looked at her for a moment before bending on one knee and placing a fist over his heart. 

            "Oliver Wood, Captain of the Fifth Regiment of the Priest's Knights," he began, looking at Hermione's eyes, "bound by duty and honor to protect and serve you until the dying day."

            Around him, the other Knights fell to their knees and copied Oliver, making Dean and Seamus look confused and surprised at the turn of events. 

            Harry and Ron frowned in confusion. 

            "Hermione, what's going on?" asked Ron, glancing back and forth between her and Oliver, his eyebrows forming a V. 

            Hermione glanced around and nearly winced when she saw the look Draco was giving her – one of smugness, like he knew who she was, and just needed the proof. 

            _Well, now he has it,_ sighed Hermione. She then glanced back down at Oliver and smiled softly. 

            "Rise, Captain. I accept your protection and the offer of your Knights."

            Oliver rose, with his regiment behind him, all quiet and solemn. He then fixed his eyes on Harry and the other teens. 

            "I see that you were traveling with the Talamancaian son?" he asked, looking Harry over. 

            Feeling the blood rush to his cheeks, Harry tried to stop the blush from forming. He knew that this Oliver Wood was a Priest's Knight, which meant he worked under Dumbledore like he did, but that didn't mean he liked him. Nor did he like the way that he and Hermione seemed to know each other. He also didn't understand what Oliver had meant and why he had gotten down on his knees, but Harry planned to find out. 

            Sharing a glance with Ron, Harry cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Come on, it's getting really late and we're off in the morning. Hermione? Coming back to camp?"

            "Excellent," interrupted Oliver, "We'll come back with you and all take off tomorrow morning for the Isle of Marquis." 

            "Isle of Marquis?" blanched Ron. "Why would we be going there? Isn't it a mythical place, anyway? Shrouded with misty clouds and only those with pure intentions can make it through its veil?"

            "That's right," said Seamus, speaking up for the first time since the battle started. Ron started and looked at him in surprise. "But we need to go there."

            "Why?" asked Draco, drawling out the word. His smug smirk indicated that he knew why, and wanted someone to reveal the secret. 

            "Because that's where we'll find the Enchantress," snapped Cedric, not falling into Draco's trap. Hermione visibly relaxed, something that went totally by Harry and Ron. 

            _Soon,_ thought Draco, _soon your secret will be revealed, Hermione, and you won't be able to stop it._

            Slowly, the large group began to move through the forest and back to the gypsy camp, with Hermione walking slowly beside Oliver. Harry shot him a dirty look, something that Ron didn't miss. Ron also didn't miss the smug looks Draco was giving off towards their direction. 

            Sighing, Ron shook his head slightly. _And the tension level just rose a little more…_

**~**

**Shakes head** I can't believe that you all stayed with me… it means so much. I was having a lot of trouble writing the next chapters, but now they're flowing (it's also a good way to spend math class writing up chapter scenarios rather than paying attention)! Thanks to all:

**E.C.R. Potter**, **Sparkle Tangerine** (times 2 reviews!), **Emily**, **hermione2620** (times two as well!), **Stoneheart** (also times two!) **malu**, **Mistress of the Pen**, **Silver Storm Dragon**, **Amelia Riddle** (fan of Tom's, btw?), **Katie Weasley**, **fan**, **sal**, **stormyfire**, **FairLady**, **Kristal**, **Hermione** and the two people who didn't leave a name… thank you all!

I hope this adds to the excitement… leave a review and tell me what you think!


	9. Enchantress of the Day and Night VIII

Enchantress of the Day and Night

Kneazle

Disclaimer: All characters/ideas belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastics, etc, K.A. Applegate's _EverWorld_, _Fern Gully: the Last Rainforest_,_ Mist of Avalon (the movie)_, _Aladdin_, _Ever After_, _Chocolat_, _The Count of Monte Cristo_ and from _Enchantress of the Stars_ by Sylvia Louise Engdahl, Cirque De Soliel. Also, mostly my odd dreams take some ideas,** Princess Mononoke** by Hayao Miyazaki, **The Vision of Escaflowne**, **Rayearth: the OVA**, **Record of Lodoss War**, **Tekken: The Motion Picture**, **Macross Plus**, **Blue Submarine No. 6**, **Pretty Solider Sailor Moon**, **Dragonball Z-GT**, _X-Men: Evolution_, _The Princess Bride_, and from "Disney's Atlantis", _Sweep_ by Cate Tiernan, and _Circle of Magic_ by Tamora Pierce. Most information that is for the covens is based on Wicca, _The Dragon's Tapestry, The Prism Moon _and_ The Taker's Key _by Martine Bates, _Circle of Three_ by Isobel Bird, and most clan information is from _Young Wizards Series_ by Diane Duane, _Lord of the _Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, _Hexwood_ by Diana Wynne Jones and _Daughters of the Moon_ by Lynne Ewing. Information I use can be found at the following websites: Bibliomania**,** Wiccan.com **and** Feri.com. You can find other information just by surfing the net and looking for information on historical witches and wizards, and Wicca sites. **~AND~** the book that brought me out of my writer's block: _Exodus_ by Julie Bertagna; the movie (2001) _Brotherhood of the Wolf_, _Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers)_. 

Author's Note: please note that this story is an alternate universe and therefore, some characters **MAY** act out of character. They act according to their surroundings, or to the role they play, or to their history. ^_^. This story is also mostly MIXED COUPLES, but I **_promise_** that it will end up H/Hr, for sure. There will also be a couple of odd couplings, and because of the rating, there is some adult content in the story (sexual bantering, language, adult issues… etc).

Summary: AU – In a world where witches and warlocks battle over slavery rights, where no sex is seen as an equal, a precious few gather to change the races' views before the war between the two escalates into something that could be the beginning – or end – of an era. Previously titled "Of Witches and Warlocks".

Genres: fantasy, romance, action/adventure, and drama

**~**

Chapter Eight

            Hermione watched the Mystic Land's coastline disappear as the galleon continued out further into the Ocean of Ino, the pale morning light glittering across the water as she did so. 

            The white sails fluttered as the ship moved with precision and ease through the waters, bobbing gently against the waves as they did so. 

            Hermione had sought refuge up in the watcher's tower, where she was currently alone and looking out in the horizon. Below her, Padma and her friends were standing and wandering about, calling out orders to raise this mast, tie that knot. Everything around them was calm, except for the three young men who stood in opposite places on the boat, as far away from each other as they could. Harry and Ron had taken up to spending time with Ginny by the stern, ignoring Draco and Oliver as much as they could. Seamus and Dean had found that their loyalties were being tested, and they didn't know whom to turn to… the two young men that they had befriended in the Talamancaian Clan, or their new friends and heroes, the Captain Oliver and the Knights? Instead, they wished not to be brought into this fight, and kept mostly to themselves, sharpening knives and other armaments. 

            Hermione had quite the view from up here, and found great pleasure in watching Ginny with the young woman not knowing. She didn't like the fact that she and Draco Malfoy had come together, and then distanced themselves – it made Hermione suspicious, and she didn't know what their next step would be. She also, really didn't like how Ginny kept hounding herself after Harry. It was quite obvious he just thought of her as his "best friend's little sister". 

            Sighing, Hermione turned her head away and looked back at the horizon, narrowing her eyes slightly against the bright reflection of the sun off the water. 

            _What am I going to do? When we reach Castle Lorien, my secret is out. I think I owe Harry and Ron an explanation, and an apology for making them go through all this when I was right there…_

            Hermione sighed, and rested her head against the rough surface of the wooden semi-circle tower. One leg dangled effortlessly off the platform, swinging slightly in the light breeze she felt coming off the salt water. Inhaling deeply and ignoring the squalls from seagulls that circled lazily overhead and in the distance by the disappearing shore, Hermione found herself being lulled into a deep sense of peace and rest. 

            The soft tune of the flute floated up to her ears, and Hermione dimly thought, _Dennis – Colin's little brother – is practicing, how nice…_

            She had barely closed her eyes, it seemed, when a hand fell on her shoulder and shook her lightly. 

            "Hermione," someone said clearly. 

            Hermione's eyes fluttered open as she looked up at Harry's face, close to hers. She widened her eyes slightly, before stretching and leaning up against the wall. She had slid down during her brief nap, and Harry towered slightly over her legs. 

            "Oh… hullo Harry," yawned Hermione slightly before glancing at him. "What are you doing up here?"

            "I… I wanted to talk to you," he said, picking at a loose tread on his vest. He lowered his eyes, so that his hair fell over them, shielding the emerald orbs from Hermione's view. 

            "About what?" she asked, crossing her legs to make more room for Harry to sit. 

            "About… what happened last night," answered Harry, shifting to sit in the space her legs just occupied. 

            "You mean when I was kidnapped?" asked Hermione, her voice steadfast. She quirked an eyebrow, silently urging him to continue with his monologue. 

            "Yes… well… I want you to know that I would do anything to save you… because I care about you… I really do," he stumbled a bit, before looking up at Hermione. "You might think that I slacked off when it comes to protecting people I care about, but that's not it. I was so preoccupied with Ron and Ginny that night and the music it took us all a while to notice you had disappeared. But I swear, that if I knew you were kidnapped the second you were, I would've gone right after you. I would have had no hesitations or have anyone try to hold me back."

            "Ah," nodded Hermione, wondering how to take in this information. "How about you just simplify what you just said Harry? I just want to hear the words right from your mouth."

            Their eyes locked, and Harry nodded slowly. He moved closer, resting his weight on one arm as he leaned over to Hermione's face. 

            "What I mean to say Hermione, is that I care about you," he said, his eyes dropping down to her lips before locking on her eyes once again. "I want us to be happy… but to be happy together."

            "Oh Harry," breathed Hermione. She lowered her eyes to her hands that were folded in her laps. "I really care about you too… you could even go and say that I fancy you – but nothing could be done. I know too much information that could endanger myself and _you_, and I don't know what I would do if you were ever hurt because of me."

            She turned her head away to look over the ocean. In the distance, a soft, pearl coloured fog was rolling gently over the water towards them. 

            "Why? Why can't we be together, Hermione?" pleaded Harry, sounding desperate for the knowledge. 

            Hermione felt the tears well up in her eyes as she turned back to Harry, looking him in the eye as his figure blurred with escaping tears. "Because I know who – _and what_ – the Enchantress is."

**-**

            Barely an hour later, the galleon was lost in the veil of mist that clung to everyone's clothes and damped everything. Hermione was sure that they were already in the Isle of Marquis's magical realm, and that they were testing everyone, but she didn't voice her thoughts. 

            Instead, Hermione kept to herself, wrapping Oliver's green cloak around her shoulders tightly, trying to ward the chill off. She sighed and tried to keep the memories of Harry's shock and surprised face out of her mind, but every few seconds when she glanced to her left she would see his face again and again – but there was also a malice that was growing and forming her green-eyes monster as she spotted Ginny moving around him like a leech.

            Everyone on the galleon was silent as the ship cut through the dark blue waters, barely bobbing up and down as the water was still and calm. 

            "Look!" someone called out softly, pointing as the misty veil slowly began to disappear and the landscape gradually came into view.

            On top of a small hill in the very center of the island stood a castle, and all around it, blocking its entrances from their eyes was a forest filled with old, aging trees that reached up into the sky.

            As they sailed closer, they saw two figures waiting for their galleon to come closer. They wore blood red robes, with odd engravings that changed when you looked at them from two different angles. They stood tall and proud, unmoving, except for their eyes that were hooded and wary. They were fairly young in appearance, but they seemed to give off a wave of magic that reeked of old magick. 

            Hermione realized at once who they were – they were the Guardians of Castle Lorien, the ones who were to train her with her magick and make her become the Enchantress that she was destined to be. 

            "Stop here," she ordered, her voice unwavering. "We ride on to the land in small boats."

            The anchor was dropped, splashing and bubbling the area of the surface where it broke into the water. As Parvati and Padma came up to Hermione to wish her goodbye, she whispered into their ears, "Go and find more help – we will need all those who can fight with us… soon the battle will begin."

            They nodded and hugged their friend and Enchantress goodbye, before stepping back and helping them into the rowboats that were waiting in the water for them. 

            Oliver and his Knights went in pairs in the boat, a few left on the galleon to go with the nomads. Hermione stepped into her boat with Harry and Draco behind her, all standing tall and proud as the boat moved forward through the water without anyone rowing. Hermione suspected that it was the Castle's magic. 

            As they hit the sand bar, Hermione glanced up at the two Guardians. They were watching her with as much curiosity as she was regarding them with. A smirk found its way on her lips as she stepped out of the boat.

            The Knights looked around, a hand gripping their staffs as they did so; always prepared for a battle they were. 

            Harry, Ron, Ginny, Draco, Seamus and Dean looked around in wonderment and awe as they took in the large trees that were growing behind the two Guardians. 

            Hermione took a step forward, and bowed slightly at the two, like Minerva had taught her all those moons ago. 

            They looked at her in slight surprise, before a smile befell one of them. He cleared his throat and began to speak. "My name is Bode and this is Croaker. I am a Guardian of Castle Lorien. Come – warm yourselves at the Castle's fire and speak of your tales during your feast. We have been expecting you for quite some time."

            The other, slightly taller and chubbier than Bode, said in a strong voice, "Welcome to Castle Lorien," before turning on his heel and beginning to head up a path that lead through the forests of Lorien. 

            As they walked through the forest, one by one, Hermione took the time to take in her surroundings. She was sure that she would be staying here for some time, at least, and she wanted to be sure of everything around her. 

            As they passed over a stone bridge, Hermione looked to her right and saw the small river that was just as placid as the ocean was when they came into the Lorien makeshift harbor. Weeping willows lined the banks of the small river, with red berry bushes below them. The sight was beautiful and positively said, "Earth magick is at work here!"

            As they turned around a sharp corner, Bode said in his voice, with a wave of a red robe-clad hand, "Welcome to the Castle, the home of the Guardians of the Enchantress and the home of the High Priest, Albus Dumbledore."

            At this, Harry let out a shout, raising an eyebrow. "Last we heard of him was when we left Talamanca. He had lived there for the past seventeen years."

            "Aye," nodded Croaker. "The Priest does live in more than one place… it is his job to make sure that everything is in order in the Lands."

            Harry nodded, subdued, and shuffled along with his hands in his pockets. Ron leaned forward and whispered some encouragement in his ears. Harry nodded, patting his friends' hand as he smiled at him, and continued walking towards the Castle.

            As they turned, Hermione let out an inaudible gasp. A stone pathway leads up to the entrance of the Castle, where coniferous trees lined up along the side. Square boxes made of stone held large bowls of fire that sprang to life as they walked by, illuminating the Castle's entrance even more. Two pillars stood on either side of the massive doors, holding up what was a circular balcony above them. Indented a little past the pillars were the two doors to the Entrance of the Castle Lorien. On the doors were decorative flowers, trees, and other Earthly symbols. 

            As the Guardians approached the door, they swung open and together the large group walked in. They entered a courtyard with a large pool of water in a rectangular pond that was the length of the courtyard. Old oak trees lined the side of the pool, offering shade on bright sunny days and refuge to stormy weather. The Castle itself was magnificent. 

            It stood tall, it's gray brick used as a natural camouflage for the grayish sky behind it. A waterfall poured down it's middle, leading its way into the pool of water. Another doorway, the actual one into the Castle, was hidden behind the waterfall. 

            Bode and Croaker led them there, glancing back only once to make sure no one had been left behind. When they were satisfied, they swung open the doors with a movement of their hands, and beckoned the group inside. 

            They entered a chamber that was pure marble. Archways led off to other rooms, and a staircase in the center of the marble chamber led up to what one could believe were rooms. A giant chandelier with millions of tiny white candles swung hundreds of feet above their heads, its arms twisted and coiled into something resembling a tree or branch. 

            Bode stopped and pointed at an archway to his left. "In there is the kitchen hall. You may eat in there and discuss what you need to, as Croaker and I will need to discuss – _something_ – with the Priest."

            "Is he here now? Dumbledore?" asked Harry, stepping forward. Bode glanced at Croaker before answering. The other man gave a sharp nod. 

            "He is, but you will seem him later. Now, eat and drink, rest… you have a long journey ahead of you," he said, with no room for defiance. 

            The large group slowly piled into the kitchen room, finding wooden benches to sit down at, as empty gold plates appeared before them. 

            "There's no food," said Ron, moaning and rubbing his stomach. "I'm so bleedin' hungry."

              Hermione smiled softly and ran a finger around the rim of her plate, slightly startled to feel the hum of magick radiating off of it. Getting an idea, she leaned close and asked, "May I have some beef please?"

            Seconds later, mashed potatoes, gravy, a beef platter and vegetables were on her plate, warm and freshly made. Her goblet filled itself with pumpkin juice, and soon everyone else had cottoned on to getting a meal. 

            Halfway through their feast, Hermione found herself as the center of their attentions. 

            "Now that we're here," mumbled Ron through a mouthful of food, "We should be able to find the Enchantress."

            "Yes, I'm quite sure Dumbledore knows who it is," agreed Harry, glancing at Oliver, who sat a bit down the bench. "What do you think, Oliver? Would we be able to find the Enchantress now that we're here?"

            Oliver's eye betrayed nothing as he raised an eyebrow at Harry. "You should," he said in his accent. "I don't see what is stopping you from finding her."

            "What do you think she can do?" wondered aloud Ron, placing an elbow on the table and swinging a drumstick around as he spoke. "D'you think she has this otherworldly powers? Or look any different than Ginny or Hermione?"

            Hermione blanched at this, coughing as she choked on a piece of food that went down the wrong way. 

            Oliver sprung up, slapping her on the back until she swallowed and managed to calm down. "Thank you," she said, smiling up at him. 

            Harry forced the feelings of anger and resentment down back into his stomach. He was in no place to claim Hermione for his own – and he did care about her more than he had let on when they were on the boat. She had been the bold one and said she fancied him; he had only said he cared, like a brother would care of a sister. He was also sure that he and Hermione would've had more time to talk if Ginny wasn't always around. 

            He did like the little girl, but he didn't have the same feelings she obviously had of him. Though, he didn't say anything mainly because it was Ron's little sister, and they were still getting acquainted after being separated for sixteen years.  

            Sighing, Harry's mind took a turn from his feelings to the Enchantress. He was sure that now that they were at Castle Lorien that they would find out who she was, and they would go and find her. The Guardians would help them, being they were to train the Enchantress to find her full potential. 

            A jolt of the table told Harry that the meals had been cleared, and they were free to talk and laugh and enjoy themselves. Ron had Seamus and Dean in a conversation about where they had been, and were conversing freely. Ginny was sitting off by Draco, speaking to him in low tones. Harry didn't know whether or not to trust the Malfoy, as his father wasn't one of his favorite people. Lucius had also help murder his father, which made Harry hate most of the Malfoy family line. 

            As his eyes swept over the rest of the people, they stopped at Oliver and Hermione, who were sitting close and talking in very low tones. Hermione's eyes darted this way and that, while Oliver was frowning and making sharp gestures. 

            Harry stood, scraping his chair back as he slowly walked towards the two. As he came closer, he heard snippets of their conversation. 

            "… You need to tell them now –"

            "-- Not yet, it's too soon…"

            "… In danger of being found by Death Eaters…"

            "– Castle Lorien is safe, I'm fine here…"

            "… The Enchantress has duties to perform – "

            "… I _know_, I'll get around to them when they are called for, Oliver," Hermione finally sighed. Harry, confused, stopped for a second. How did they come from the Enchantress' duties and make them Hermione's duties to perform? It wasn't her task to do…

            "Hermione?" Harry asked, clearing his throat as he took two more steps towards the two. "Can we talk?"

            "Of course," said Hermione, glancing back at Oliver with what could be described as a warning look. "Take a seat."

            Harry did and glanced at Oliver, who got the message. 

            "Leaving," he said in a singsong voice, getting up and walking towards another table where his Knights were talking in rowdy tones. 

            Harry gulped and began slowly, "Remember on the galleon, when I said I cared for you?"

            "Yes…"

            "Well, I didn't mean that," said Harry, wondering if he was phrasing that correctly. 

            "Oh?"

            "Yes, what I meant to say was that I fancy you, like you said you fancy me," replied Harry, glancing up at Hermione, who was watching him with amusement. "I truly admire you and your skill. You kept a calm head while we were in the dungeons back by that city where Lavender disappeared. You also were resourceful and managed to get all of us to safety – which I owe you a thanks for."

            "No problem," said Hermione, breaking into this monologue. "Anything else?"

            "Er… yes… I was wondering… as you said you know whom the Enchantress is… how does that come back to you? Does it put me in danger if I say I want to be with you?"

            "Oh Harry," sighed Hermione. "It puts you in so much more danger than you should be placed in."

            Frowning, Harry bit the inside of his cheek. "I still want to be with you, and I want to help. I don't care if it puts me in danger, Hermione, really! I just want to be with _you_."

            Hermione smiled softly, before taking Harry's hand in hers. "I believe you, but when the time comes – and the battle begins – you will wonder why you got mixed up in all of this. I assure you that you will think that, Harry, and I cannot wish that you die in battle or lead a war, grief-stricken life."

            Harry opened his mouth and reply when Bode came into the kitchen room, his eyes sweeping around the tables until they found Hermione. He took a couple steps in her direction, before stopping. 

            Hermione glanced at him and knew it was time. She turned back to Harry and said in a low voice, quickly, "Don't be mad at me, Harry, I wanted to tell you – the time was just never right. Please, don't be angry."

            "What? Hermione, what are you talking about?" asked Harry, glancing at Bode, and then her. Oliver and the other Knights had risen, watching the scene unfold itself. 

            "_Please_," pleaded Hermione, "_don't be mad_." 

            Harry watched in confusion as Hermione stood and made her way towards Bode. Bode took another step forward and handed her a folded pair of scarlet robes with gold trimmings. She took it in her arms, and held it close as she looked up at him. 

            Bode smiled gently down at Hermione and said, "It is time, Enchantress."

**~**

**AN:** well, I managed to get the next chapter out. Though it's not very long, I hope that everyone enjoys it because there's some H/Hr action and well, Hermione's secret is out. It's the turning point of the story, really, because we'll get some Voldemort action in the next chapter, and also Lavender comes back! Yay! So, **happy holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy New Years**, and don't forget to review!

**Silver Storm Dragon**: Really? You spotted some mistakes? Hmm, I went over and found one myself, but I didn't notice anything else – I'll take extra precautions for this chapter and the rest of them. Unfortunately, I find that Betas take to long to get back to me… **frowns** so I don't have one… but I'll certainly double and triple check the story from now on! Thanks! And thank you for the book recommendation too – I'll head to Indigo or Chapters and see if they have it. 

**Tamillo**: Thanks so much for your review, and I understand your worries and reasoning. I don't mean to "lay it on thick" of Oliver/Harry/Draco tension towards Hermione – it's just they all seem to want her for different reasons, and it does have some meaning later on in the story. Also, I know some parts lag and some jet, but sometimes you just have to have those (I hate writing them myself, but if it's describing something, it usually means it's important). We'll learn more of Hermione's powers soon, and her role in the whole story, so don't worry. Basically, the fun has just started. Thanks, though, very much for your review. I took everything into consideration and I hope that this chapter makes up for what the others lacked in. Also, the Days and Nights? The **Days** are basically Amazons – strong witches that only want to see the male race brought under submission. The **Nights** are the same as them, only the male equivalent. They don't care about the Enchantress or the Priest – they only care about their values and ethics. They're rogues and bounty hunters who would do anything to see their ideal world created… in a way they're evil, but they don't seem to know any better. Hope that helps.

**Stoneheart**: Hmm, guess you're right about that; Hermione didn't seem surprised to see Ginny… I guess I would be if I was in her place, but it could also be that she had other things on her mind at the time – I know that when that happens to me everything else seems to disappear and nothing surprises me. Heh, Draco is one of those characters who wants to achieve something that has a good purpose but goes around doing it the wrong way. He's neither good nor evil, but someone in that gray mass in-between. His role as a **spy** will become more apparent when the actual battles begin. 

**Thanks again to everyone who reviewed!**

**_PS_**: If you haven't seen _The Two Towers_ yet, I suggest you do. I saw it last night and it was great – and the trailer previews for _X-Men2_, _Terminator 3_, _Pirates of the Caribbean_, and the new Disney/Pixar _Finding Nero_ (I believe it's called) were just fabulous! _LotR_ was so worth the packed theatre! 


	10. Enchantress of the Day and Night IX

Enchantress of the Day and Night

Kneazle

Disclaimer: All characters/ideas belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastics, etc, K.A. Applegate's _EverWorld_, _Fern Gully: the Last Rainforest_,_ Mist of Avalon (the movie)_, _Aladdin_, _Disney's The Prince and the Pauper, Ever After_, _Chocolat_, _The Count of Monte Cristo_ and from _Enchantress of the Stars_ by Sylvia Louise Engdahl, Cirque De Soliel. Also, mostly my odd dreams take some ideas,** Princess Mononoke** by Hayao Miyazaki, **The Vision of Escaflowne**, **Rayearth: the OVA**, **Record of Lodoss War**, **Tekken: The Motion Picture**, **Macross Plus**, **Blue Submarine No. 6**, **Pretty Solider Sailor Moon**, **Dragonball Z-GT**, _X-Men: Evolution_, _The Princess Bride_, and from "Disney's Atlantis", _Sweep_ by Cate Tiernan, and _Circle of Magic_ by Tamora Pierce. Most information that is for the covens is based on Wicca, _The Dragon's Tapestry, The Prism Moon _and_ The Taker's Key _by Martine Bates, _The Watcher_ by Margaret Buffie, _Circle of Three_ by Isobel Bird, and most clan information is from _Young Wizards Series_ by Diane Duane, _Lord of the _Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, _Hexwood_ by Diana Wynne Jones and _Daughters of the Moon_ by Lynne Ewing. Information I use can be found at the following websites: Bibliomania**,** Wiccan.com **and** Feri.com. You can find other information just by surfing the net and looking for information on historical witches and wizards, and Wicca sites. **~AND~** the book that brought me out of my writer's block: _Exodus_ by Julie Bertagna; the movie (2001) _Brotherhood of the Wolf_, _Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers)_. ****

**~**

  


Chapter Nine

            Hermione left the room with her head high, biting her lip, as she heard the gasps coming from behind her. She felt her spine stiffen, but she knew she couldn't do anything about what they were going to say about her. But now she wished she had told them earlier – or that they were a bit smarter to figure it out themselves – but that wouldn't happen.

            They stepped out of the mess hall and into the marble hallway again, but this time they went up the sprawling staircase to a door that was etched in ivory. 

            "Take your robes in there with you. You'll know what to do, I hope," Bode said, glancing down at her, raising an eyebrow. "Did you Professor teach you the ritual before she… passed on?"

            "Yes," replied Hermione, nodding slightly. She ran her tongue over her lower lip before opening the door and slipping inside. The room had white walls, with two very open windows that were reaching from the floor to the ceiling – they wouldn't even be called windows, as that whole wall was practically open. There were only three Roman pillars spaced geometrically across it. In the middle of the room was a circular pool on water. Surrounding it were white sheets to block any peepers and on the floor outside of the sheets were a couple fluffy towels to dry herself off with. 

            Hermione gulped once, trying to tell herself that _IT_ was finally happening, she was finally becoming the Enchantress, the Girl Who Will Save the World. Shaking, she pulled her top off and yanked her pants off by hopping on one foot, and kicked her boots off. She slipped off her armband bracelet, and gingerly undid the clasp of the pentagram necklace. After she was done, she slipped into the pool of water. 

            Inhaling, she realized it was salt water, and that there was a bar of salt in a floating basin. She picked the salt up and began to scrub her body with it, and worked the suds into her hair to make her completely covered with the salt. Once she was done that, she washed it all away and reached for the towels, drying herself off. 

            Wrapping a corner securely in the towel, Hermione then unfolded the robes that Bode had given her. It was a form-fitting maroon dress with a gold rope-sash that dangled off on her left side. There were gold laces up the front of the dress to secure the bosom fit properly, and the arm's sleeves were loose and wide. After she put on the dress, she slipped her boots back on and left the airy room only to see Bode waiting outside for her. 

            "I'm sorry I took so long," she apologized. 

            Bode waved the apology away and smiled at her before leading her to the chamber where the ritual would take place. 

            They walked down the white marble hallway that seemed impossibly long, before stopping at another ivory door with a gold handle. Bode turned and regarded Hermione with an unreadable look. "You realize that when you leave this room, you will be Enchantress Hermione?"

            "I do," Hermione answered in a confident voice, although her insides quaked with fear. Lacing her fingers together in front of her dress, before following Bode in through the doorway. 

            The chamber was large and dark. There were two large circles of the same size side-by-side in the room, with pillars holding the ceiling up. The pillars themselves were the size of ancient tree trunks, and reached up higher than Hermione could see – they seemed to disappear into the darkness. 

            One of the circles had a raised platform in the middle of it, just large enough for a person to stand on it alone. It had an octagon in the middle of it, with Celtic designs weaving around it in triangle shapes. Coming out from that center were extremely large petal-shaped carvings on the ground, with a lion at the end of each petal. Surrounding that whole design was one rim of a circle. 

            "Stand on that platform," instructed Croaker. Hermione walked over to it and stood, facing the other circle that was to the right of the door. That circle was completely hollowed out and only had a thin layer of silvery water reflecting the darkness and sparse candles. 

            Across from Hermione on the other side of the circle so they were facing her were Albus Dumbledore, the Priest and Leader of the Talamancaians. 

            "Priest!" called out Hermione, in greeting. 

            He raised a single hand to show he heard her and greeted her back, before letting it drop and glancing over to Bode and Croaker who stood off to the side by the door. Coughing once, Bode unwound a scroll that Croaker had been holding and began to read it. 

            Unfamiliar words and phrases met Hermione's ears as Bode began the incantations to begin the process of initiating Hermione as the Enchantress. Across from her, Dumbledore was waiting for his cue to begin the magical ritual. Words were beautiful and meaningful, lasting forever, but it was the magic that was going to help her win this war. 

            Once the last syllable was said, and echoed throughout the chamber, did Dumbledore begin. 

            He raised his arms to his sides, and began in a deep rumbling voice, his magic pulsing off him in great waves of power. "It is the time to start your journey in becoming who you will be; it is the time to end your journey in who you were. This is as I have said, so mote it be."

            There was a loud bang, and the whole chamber was engulfed in an eerie green light that was being emitted from the hollowed circle. In the center of the circle a thick jet of silvery sparkles were shooting up towards the Heavens, with two other jets of the silvery sparkles weaving around the jet to create a spiral effect. 

            Hermione watched in wonder, her mouth open as the jets went higher and higher, swirling around and around until she couldn't see them anymore. As suddenly as the green light and sparkles had appeared, they were gone, and Dumbledore took a small step backwards, only to look and face her. 

            Hermione had not noticed anything until she felt the tingling on the tips of her fingers and toes. She glanced down and saw she was rising only a couple of inches off the platform, and was glowing a strange blue that was nearly white it was so blinding. She felt the magical surge before it was seen, and from the middle of the platform she had been standing on the sparkles from the hollowed circle appeared, this time spiraling around her enough times to cocoon her. She couldn't see past the shield that it created, only the white light it gave off. 

            The jets then slowly fizzled away, and Hermione was lowered gently back to the platform. On shaky legs, she fell to her knees and took great deep breaths of air.

            With that done, Hermione could feel the pulsation of magic that hummed in her veins. Now all she had to do was learn how to control it.

            She didn't notice Dumbledore until he was crouching beside her. Smiling gently, with a twinkle in his blue eyes, he whispered, "Well done Hermione. You did wonderfully."

            Hermione smiled and stood, stumbling only slightly as she stepped off the platform. It was over.

**-**

Harry's jaw felt like it had fallen to the floor, filled with lead. There was a bitter taste in his mouth, and try as hard as he swallowed the flavour would not go away. Now it all made sense to him. Everything made sense… everything…

_She took his hands in hers, and placed them over the wrists. He hissed a bit in pain, as they were rubbed raw, but she allowed a blue glow to wrap around them. He was startled, thinking she had bonded him to her, and tried to pull away. "No wait!" she said. "Please!"_

_ He still resisted, leaning as far back as he could. She rolled her eyes and pulled her hands away. He stood up, tripping a bit backwards, before glancing down at his wrists. They were completely healed. _

_***_

_Lavender gasped, pointing out of the trunk. "Look!"_

_ Harry turned, expecting to see Hermione in some sort of distress. However, he saw her sitting calmly on the beach, lighting a fire, some weird sort of bubble around her. Her hair was not flying about in wind, nor did the water that pounded hard against the ground affect the fire._

_***_

_Silence hung heavily in the air, until there was a snap and clang. All eyes swiveled to Hermione, who was rubbing red marks on her arms. Glancing up she said calmly, "You never asked if I could get out or not."_

_ "We thought ya were wit 'em!" Colin exclaimed, jerking his head in Ron's general direction, which growled. _

_ "Hermione… how did you do that?" asked Harry quietly, watching the girl as she moved forward towards Harry. She gathered the ancient lock in her hand, closed her eyes, and within moments the lock fell heavily into her hands. She placed it quietly on the floor, before moving on to the next person._

_***_

_Hermione glanced up at Ron, but said nothing as she looked back down at the rock, before running her hand over the smooth texture. Suddenly, something shifted in the air and at once the rock began to uncoil like a snake and turned into a sturdy rope, long enough to allow everyone to drop down into the water without hurting themselves. _

_***_

… He didn't even hear Ron and Ginny trying to talk to him until Ron slapped him across the face. He had been staring at the spot Hermione had been before she left with Bode, and Harry was still having a hard time believing _she_ was the Enchantress. But what had she pleaded before she had left? Oh yes, don't be mad at me, Harry… 

Harry started, realizing he _wasn't_ angry… just confused. Really confused, and a bit sad too – she would be saving the world and would have many men admire her. She could pick any of them, but probably would not choose him. Harry felt his heart break and shatter into thousands of pieces. 

"Harry? Harry, are you all right?" asked Ron, shaking his friend, and raising his hand again to slap him. As it came close to his face, Harry's hand shot up and wrenched the palm away from him. 

"I can hear you perfectly fine, Ron," he said, turning to face his friend and his friend's younger sister. "I was just… surprised."

"More like stupefied," came the drawling voice of Draco Malfoy, who stood half-in and half-out of the shadows. 

"Stay out of this," growled Ron, narrowing his eyes at his nemesis. Draco rolled his eyes but said nothing more. 

Suddenly, Harry had a flash in his memory. Oliver and the Knights were acting too calm and smug to also know that Hermione was the Enchantress, unless they knew too… that made everyone but Ron and himself know who Hermione truly was…

A burning sensation in his stomach made Harry turn to Oliver, glaring. "You knew," he hissed darkly, advancing on the older man. "You knew she was the Enchantress and didn't say anything."

"That's right," replied Oliver in a cool tone. "I knew because I was assigned to protect her."

"But you didn't say anything to _us_," continued Harry, "and we were the ones traveling with her!"

"She didn't want anyone to know," said Oliver's friend, Cedric. "We're bound by honor to respect her wishes and do as she asks unless it threatens her life. And not telling you didn't threaten her in any way."

Harry saw red. He couldn't believe that they had kept her secret from him and Ron – and maybe Ginny – for so long. In a moment of irrational behavior, Harry found himself throwing a punch at Oliver's face. 

The older man didn't expect it, and his head whipped back taking with him the force of the blow. When he caught his balance and looked at the bony haired, emerald eyed teen, he said quietly, "You will wish you hadn't have done that, Harry."

He stepped forward, bringing his own fist before slamming it into Harry's jaw, sending his head snapping back. Stumbling, Harry shook his head and glared at Oliver before the two went at each other, throwing punches left, right and center.

Harry fell to his knees as a punch was delivered to his stomach, but then swept his legs behind Oliver's and made him fall on his back, where Harry pounced on the young man and, grabbing his collar, slammed his fist from the right to the left and back again too many times to count. 

In the middle of a punch, there was a rumble of something moving throughout the castle before bursting the mess hall's heavy doors open. A tearing wind whipped at their face's and stung their eyes, and the shockwave that followed after tossed them a couple feet back towards the back of the mass hall. 

Harry, blown of Oliver, looked up at the door in confusion in the silence that followed. "What was that?" he whispered. 

Oliver straightened, and regarded Harry with a raised eyebrow. "The Enchantress has just been initiated. Hermione is now the Enchantress."

**-**

            A thousand miles away, another man who sat on a throne in a dark cave with many black-robed followers around him felt the shock blast. 

            They started at first, before murmuring in hushed tones. They didn't miss the look of disgust and anger on their Master's face. 

            _And so the end of the old world melts away and the beginning of the new one begins,_ he thought, his scarlet eyes narrowing in annoyance. 

**-**

            Later that evening, Hermione came down from the Chamber and entered the mess hall with an air of confidence that she hadn't left with. Bode and Croaker stood behind her, flanking her every move like two very serious and somber bodyguards. Oliver and the other Knights rose at her entrance, bowing slightly as she passed them by. 

            Seamus, Dean, Ginny, Ron and Harry watched in wonder as she approached them, with a little hesitation in her eyes and movement.

            "Hello," she murmured softly, looking at each of them in the eyes. Dean and Seamus rose and bowed like the Knights, before sitting back down, and Ginny eyed her with something like distrust and betrayal. Hermione tried to find out what the girl was thinking, but effective wards had been placed around her mind so Hermione could not enter. 

            Sighing, she turned to Ron and Harry. Ron had a huge grin on his freckled face, and when she smiled tentatively at him, he jumped up and swept her into a bear hug. 

            "I can't believe you're the bloody Enchantress!" he crowed. "All this time – if I didn't know better I'd say you're the best secret-keeper in the world."

            "What do you mean, 'if you didn't know better'?" asked Hermione with a small smile on her face. 

            Ron blushed and muttered something about blabbing things he wasn't supposed to, and sat down in his chair, before digging earnestly into his dinner. Hermione watched him for a few moments before turning to Harry, who had slowly risen from his seat. 

            A black eye was starting to form on his left eye, and he was staying off his right foot as if it hurt. Hermione raised an eyebrow. 

            "What happened to you?"

            "Eh… nothing… just fell when that blast hit us," lied Harry, not moving his eyes from Hermione's face. "So… how do you feel? Any different?"

            Hermione smiled shyly. "No. I'm still the same Hermione as before."

            "Glad to hear it," said Harry softly. He offered Hermione a smile to show that he wasn't upset and with that, Hermione let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. 

            She then sat down next to him, and began to eat, smiling absently, and shooting Harry looks from underneath her fringe – all the time unaware of Harry watching her, and unaware of the three other looks she was getting.

            After the meals were eaten and the talk had died out, Bode and Croaker came back in the mess hall with Dumbledore following them. 

            Harry, surprised to his professor and leader, didn't say anything until the shock wore off. To Ron he asked, "What's he doing here?" but didn't receive an answer as Ron was still staring at Dumbledore like he had grown two heads or was the Dark Lord himself. 

            Bode cleared his throat before saying, "I know that you all have had a long day, so the House Elves have prepared rooms for all of you to sleep in tonight. Tomorrow morning will come soon and so will your quests."

            Stepping forward, Dumbledore addressed the group, but spoke to Harry and his table. "Harry, I would like you, Ron, Ginny and Draco to return with me tomorrow to Talamanca. Apparently, the Dark Lord is on the move and has begun to terrorize smaller villages of Muggles and mixed communities on his path to the Poweeke Mountains that separate the Belluci Desert from the forests of Talamanca. We need you back home to help round up his Death Eaters."

            Harry nodded solemnly, and stared at the floor in dismay. He was being taken away from Hermione – there wouldn't be time to talk to her later. 

            "Hermione will be beginning her training soon, and will need protection," said Bode, glancing at the Knights. "The Priest has agreed to give up two of his best Knights to guard the Enchantress when we cannot, or she leaves the island."

            Oliver and Ryan Kips nodded and stood, walking towards Bode, and kneeling before him on one knee, and placing a fist over their hearts. The move showed they pledged their lives to Hermione, becoming her guards now.

            Harry felt more miserable now than he had ever in his life, expect for when Sirius and Remus would tell him about his parents and he would feel the ache that crept into his heart whenever they did.

            Dumbledore then continued talking. "Voldemort knows about Hermione being the Enchantress, but he too is bound by the Fate that had been spun when Eorthe was created. The war we will fight against him will not take place for another year and a quarter, when the training period is over for Hermione. That gives us time to plan attacks of our own and stop him now – as much as we can."

            His eyes took in the entire group that was in the Mess Hall, pausing at Draco before continuing on. With that said, he turned and left the room, Croaker behind him. Bode turned slightly, before saying over his shoulder, "Go up the stairs. Your names are written on the door of your rooms. Goodnight."

            With some soft murmurs, the group left and found their rooms, settling themselves in for an unsettling night.

**-**

            Hermione sat at her pearl vanity table, brushing her hair slowly, lost in thought while staring at her reflection. She was now the Enchantress, and had twice as much stress and responsibilities piled on her now than before. She had to learn specific etiquette and speech, and also how to control her powers. Her upcoming year would be crazy. 

            And Harry… _what do I think about Harry?_ She wondered. The lovable and comfortable young man that had been with her through it all, and still cared about her after keeping a secret like that. She didn't know why or how, be she respected him greatly for it. 

            _I won't even get to say goodbye tomorrow…_ she thought sadly, placing her brush down. With that thought in her head, and her heart heavy, she stood up and walked to the candle that was lit on her bedside table. Placing a hand behind the flame, she blew gently, and immersed herself in darkness. 

            Pulling the soft and fluffy covers of her bed back, she was about to get in where a soft thump on her door told her someone wished to speak with her. Walking over to it in the dark, she opened the door slightly to see Harry standing in the hallway, shuffling slightly from one foot to the other. 

            "Hi Hermione," he whispered. "May I come in?"

            Hermione nodded, opening the door wider, as he stepped into the darkness, almost disappearing into it. The soft click of the lock made both of them jump in surprise. 

            "What did you want to speak about, Harry?" asked Hermione, stepping closer to him to see his face. Harry looked down at Hermione, who was less than an arm's length away from him. 

_She looks so nice in those maroon robes that she is wearing,_ he thought. Before he knew what he was doing, he had stepped flush against Hermione, and wrapped an arm around her waist. He looked down at her, his eyes asking if she was complaining or didn't want this.

Hermione looked up at Harry, before sliding her hands up his chest smoothly, finally resting on his shoulders. She tilted her head up, silently asking him to kiss her – which he did with no hesitation. 

His lips descended upon hers, giving her first a smooth, chaste kiss. Lip to lip, Hermione only then felt the sizzle of electricity that ran through her at that small touch. She was sure that Harry had felt it as well, because he then growled before wrapping his other, free hand in her mane. 

Hermione's own arms wrapped around Harry's neck, playing with the soft hairs at the nape of his neck. She tilted her head, changing the position of their lips, parting them slightly. Harry took her cue, and opened his lips as well, before running the tip of his tongue on her lower lip. 

At that, she fell completely against him, their bodies crushed together as they stumbled backwards and to the side, before falling on Hermione's bed. Lying there together, Harry wrapped his arms as tightly as he could around Hermione, kissing her senseless, and rolling them around the bed.

Tangling her legs with Harry's, Hermione broke away from their intense kiss, running her fingertips across his swollen lips. They were both breathing hard, lying next to each other in the middle of the bed. Taking Harry's hand, Hermione led it to the laces in the front of dress, her eyes meeting his in the darkness. 

There, they were burning with desire and love, asking her if she was sure. Never feeling so sure than she was at the moment, Hermione nodding, kissing him slightly once more before running her own hands down Harry's shirt to undo his buttons. 

That night was none either would forget anytime soon.

**-**

**AN:** Hi everyone! Thank you for the reviews I got on the last chapter – I really appreciate them! I just want to let you all know that this will be the last update you'll get of EDN for the next month or so – my exams begin in 14 days, and I really need to study or else I'm failing math and redoing it next year. Not fun – so I really need to concentrate lately. Also, be happy to know that I have the next chapter all planned out and it will be up once my exams are over. 

Um, what else? Oh, I'm guessing that there is only about 5-10 chapters left in this series, before it's over. Just thought I'd let you all know… I hope you all enjoyed the mushiness of Hermione and Harry – you can guess what they were doing, okay? Hee. One last word to everyone: REVIEW PLEASE!


	11. Enchantress of the Day and Night X

Enchantress of the Day and Night

Kneazle

Disclaimer: All characters/ideas belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastics, etc, K.A. Applegate's _EverWorld_, _Fern Gully: the Last Rainforest_,_ Mist of Avalon (the movie)_, _Aladdin_, _Ever After_, _Chocolat_, _The Count of Monte Cristo_ and from _Enchantress of the Stars_ by Sylvia Louise Engdahl, Cirque De Soliel. Also, mostly my odd dreams take some ideas,** Princess Mononoke** by Hayao Miyazaki, **The Vision of Escaflowne**, **Rayearth: the OVA**, **Record of Lodoss War**, **Tekken: The Motion Picture**, **Macross Plus**, **Blue Submarine No. 6**, **Pretty Solider Sailor Moon**, **Dragonball Z-GT**, _X-Men: Evolution_, _The Princess Bride_, and from "Disney's Atlantis", _Sweep_ by Cate Tiernan, and _Circle of Magic_ by Tamora Pierce. Most information that is for the covens is based on Wicca, _The Dragon's Tapestry, The Prism Moon _and_ The Taker's Key _by Martine Bates, _Circle of Three_ by Isobel Bird, and most clan information is from _Young Wizards Series_ by Diane Duane, _Lord of the _Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, _Hexwood_ by Diana Wynne Jones and _Daughters of the Moon_ by Lynne Ewing. Information I use can be found at the following websites: Bibliomania**,** Wiccan.com **and** Feri.com. You can find other information just by surfing the net and looking for information on historical witches and wizards, and Wicca sites. **~AND~** the book that brought me out of my writer's block: _Exodus_ by Julie Bertagna; the movie (2001) _Brotherhood of the Wolf_, _Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers)_. 

Summary: AU – In a world where witches and warlocks battle over slavery rights, where no sex is seen as an equal, a precious few gather to change the races' views before the war between the two escalates into something that could be the beginning – or end – of an era. Previously titled "Of Witches and Warlocks".

  


**~**

Chapter Ten

            Snow began to fall outside the thick glass window, showering the Isle of Marquis in whiteness. Outside, Hermione could see Oliver Wood and Ryan Kips laugh and throw snowballs at each other, knee-deep in the heavy snow. 

            Sighing, Hermione turned her attention to her tutor, and concentrated on her latest lesson. Gods above, was she bored.

**-**

            Months passed by, and Hermione had begun the long and agonizing trials that lead to her becoming the Enchantress, a full-fledged sorceress with amazing powers. With the fate of the world resting in her hands, she found that stress was taking a toll on her, but she kept quiet about it; sometimes it was better to suffer in silence.

            Also, she was missing Harry. They had sent each other a couple of owls bearing letters, but when the frost settled on the shores of the Talamancaian woods, they had ceased writing as the journey was too long for the birds to fly. Hermione then relied on Oliver and Ryan for company, who taught her some basic defense skills, and how to even ride hippogriffs and horses with confidence and ease. 

            _The nights are lonely here, at Lorien. I miss Harry very much, but I cannot speak with him until the snow melts and the frost leaves the ground, and the Spring Equinox comes. There is balance then, between night and day, and it will be when I become initiated into the high levels of magery. _

_            Albus Dumbledore has taught me what he could during the owls he sent to my tutor, a Fleur Delacour – she says she is from the Lakes of Mist, which is far North of here, by the Black Clan and on the most Eastern point of the Talamancaian continent. She claims that the weather is warm there, misty and beautiful. One day I wish to see it; Fleur says she even has a younger sister there named Gabrielle. Apparently, she also has a lover there – and guess who that is? William Weasley, Ron's oldest brother. _

Hermione put down her quill; smiling slightly at the entry she had just finished writing in her diary. She did this ritually, every night before she went to bed. As she stood from her vanity, a knock on her door caught her attention. 

            "Come in!" she invited, smiling as she saw Oliver come into her suite, looking a bit tentative. "Hullo, Oliver. What brings you here?"

            "Hullo Hermione," he said, smiling a bit, and taking the seat she offered. Months before, he and Ryan kept calling her "Enchantress" and finally caused Hermione to snap at them; she made them from then onwards call her by her given name.

            "You looked a bit down tonight at dinner. Is something the matter?" he continued. 

            Hermione smiled, a bit sadly, before sitting on the edge of her bed and crossing her legs. "Yes, there is something bothering me, but it's nothing that you can help me with, Olli."

            "I'd like to try," continued Oliver, concerned from his friend. "What's bothering you? Is it the Enchantress duties?"

            "A bit, yes," sighed Hermione, tracing a pattern on her quilt as a strong wind rattled her glass panel. She turned her head to look outside, the darkness deep and resounding, with no stars out that night. "There's a lot of work to do, and I'm finding it hard to take everything in, no matter how well I do. It's… beginning to get hard on me. I have trouble falling asleep sometimes."

            "You should tell Fleur, Bode and Croaker. I'm sure they wouldn't mind you taking a couple of days off. We could travel to the mainland with Ryan and go to Iionn, or some of the other towns along the coast," offered Oliver. 

            Hermione nodded. "I would really like that, actually. But…"

            "But…?" repeated Oliver.

            "I really miss Harry," said Hermione softly, her eyes downcast.

            At this, Oliver sighed silently and got up out of his seat, to sit next to the younger girl. He placed an arm around her shoulders, and patted her shoulder as best as he could. 

            "I know you do," he murmured, as she began sobbing silently. "And I'm sure he misses you as well, Hermione. What you two share is something amazing, something that no one can take or ever could. It was apparent to anyone from the first day I saw the two of you together."

            "I know… but I can't help but miss him now," sighed Hermione, her tears spent. "When things get too rough, I always wrote to him – and it became a crutch. Now, when I do need him and can't talk to him, I feel so helpless."

            "You?" laughed Oliver softly. "The Enchantress? You feel helpless? Oh, Hermione, you are anything but helpless. You drive the helplessness away just with appearing somewhere. You take the fear from people with your calming presence. You give hope when there is none."

            They sat in silence, Oliver with his arm around Hermione's shoulders until she heaved a sigh and said, "I should get to bed. Thank you for listening to me, Oliver."

            "It's never a problem," he replied, before tucking her in and brushing a strand of hair from her face. She looked up at him, her brown eyes large and doe-like.

            "You treat me so well," she whispered. 

            Oliver smiled down on her, his Irish lit becoming heavy as he tried to mask his emotions. "You deserve them, you know."

            At her slightly sad, regretful look, she propped herself up on one elbow and took his hand in hers. "If I had never have met Harry…" she began.

            "I know," answered Oliver, looking down at the quilt over her bed. "If you hadn't met Harry, and if things would've been different… then maybe something could have happened. But because that isn't the case, I'll just have to deal with it."

            "You don't have to do it alone, Olli," said Hermione, looking at his dejected and down face. 

            "I do. To ask anything of you would be wrong – for both you and Harry," he replied, looking up and gracing her with a smile. "You do know I love you, don't you?"

            Hermione felt tears well up in her eyes. "And you do know that I only love you as one would a brother?"

            "I know," he whispered, before tugging his hand gently free and blowing her candle's flame out. "Sleep, Enchantress. You have a long day ahead of you."

            Hermione fell back on the pillows in the darkness, and watched Oliver's shadow move to the doors. He opened the door slightly, making light spill into the chamber. 

            "Goodnight, Hermione."

            "Goodnight Oliver," replied the tired girl. She was asleep before she heard the "Sweet dreams."

**-**

**_A couple months later…_**

            Harry snarled and slammed down the many pieces of parchment that Sirius had left on his desk earlier that week. He had been training with Remus before the full moon so he had left them to a later date, and now regretted it. 

             The parchments were filled with names of Death Eater recruits and their progress. Sirius informed him that they had a two spies working for them within the highest ranks of the Death Eaters, something that Harry was grateful for. He just didn't know whether he could trust them just yet, especially now that he knew their identities. 

            Rubbing his temples, his eyes wandered on their own to the last letter that Hermione had written. Now that it was past the Spring Equinox, and the frost had melted, their owls could resume the long distance journey. The air was warmer and birds sang as they flied through the air, giving the outward appearance that there wasn't anything wrong.

            He sighed as he picked up the last parchment piece he threw down, and reread what the slashy scrawl wrote.

            _Voldemort says it's time to move on. They're leaving the stronghold, a few of the most persuasive and sadistic of them, to head northeast to the Black Clan. The warlocks and witches in that clan are notoriously ruthless, and have been associated with black magic for such a long time that it has become first nature to them. They know no other way of life._

_            The DE's will be moving out a fortnight of when you will receive this letter – you are to then burn it, and leave no trace. Do you best to halt the group, or reach the Black Clan before they do – the battle's outcome may very well depend on it._

            Harry mumbled something under his breath before he held the parchment up above his candle, watching the flames lick greedily at it.

            Once it was all but diminished, he stood and began walking towards the center of the Talamancaian clan. As he walked around warlocks who were cooking dinner, chatting, drinking or playing card games, he spotted the younger ones in open areas training for the upcoming war. With his emerald eyes, Harry spotted Ron, Dean and Seamus easily. They were standing in a line, mimicking the movements of Captain Cedric Diggory, the newest leader in charge of the Knights since Oliver Wood handed the title to him to stay with the Enchantress – Hermione…

            At that thought, Harry felt a pang ripple through his chest, and hit his heart with enough force to make him stop moving. He found himself replaying the morning he had last seen her. 

            They woke up together in her bed, the sheets tangled around their bodies in a warm cocoon. Harry woke first, drinking in the sight of Hermione lying peacefully in his arms, her head tucked into the hollow between his neck and shoulder. Her hand was splayed across his torso, claiming him as hers. 

            Her brown hair tickled his nose as he looked down at her, but he refused to move and tightened his grip on her, tugging her closer to him as he placed his own hand on the small of her back. 

            Hermione mumbled something incoherent as she leaned into the embrace, running one leg up and down his, trying to get comfortable. Harry gulped, reminding himself that he was leaving that morning and she was asleep – she didn't know what she was doing to him. Really.

            Slowly, Hermione's eyes fluttered open. She smiled sweetly up at Harry, pulling back slightly to look at him better in the morning light. 

            "You've got your glasses on again," she murmured, playing with the end of one of the arms. 

            "So I do," he agreed quietly, laughter rumbling deep in his chest and rising up through his throat. Hermione giggled slightly, feeling the rumble underneath her hand. 

            "Last night…" she bit her lip, and Harry tensed, thinking she would say it was a mistake… "Do you regret last night, Harry?"

            Harry smiled down at his angel, pulling her close to him. He sought out her lips, before claiming them in a kiss that left them breathless. "Never," he answered breathlessly. "Do you?"

            Hermione shook her head, cupping his head with both her hands as she rolled on top of him, her hair creating a veil around their faces. "Now why would I do a silly thing like that?" she countered. 

            Harry grinned, capturing her lips again and again, knowing that as time continued, their time together was drawing to a close.

            Soon, when the room was enveloped in the morning rays, Harry closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Hermione's. "You know I have to go today."

            "I know," she answered, her own eyes closed as she sidled down his torso to rest her head on his chest. She heard his heart beat, slow and sure, relaxing her and lulling her into a light sleep. 

            Staying in silence for a couple of minutes, until Harry slowly pulled the two of them up into a sitting position, he finally chuckled and brushed a strand of her hair from her cheek. "You know that you'll stay in my heart, don't you?"

            "Of course. And that you've captured mine?" questioned Hermione, a playful teasing note in her voice. 

            Harry chuckled, drawing her comforter up to cover her front, which had been exposed until then. It was not done in a moment too soon, as there was some loud, panicked knocking on her door before it was rammed open by Ron, who looked around wildly, asking in a loud voice, "Hermione? Have you seen Harry, he didn't go to his room last… night…"

            His eyes finally rested on the couple in the bed together, before blushing a deep crimson colour. 

            "Right. Well, um… Harry, we're heh… leaving in an hour, you should get ready," he said, then inched the door closed, his red head that last thing they saw.

            Both Harry and Hermione burst out laughing, before slowly climbing out of the bed together, each taking a different sheet to cover themselves. They began searching for their clothes, which took longer than usual, as they stopped for kisses between each article they picked up.

            Twenty minutes later, they were both dressed – Hermione now in her Enchantress robes, and Harry in his usual Talamancaian pants and matching top. He scooped up Hermione one last time, to speak to her privately. 

            "As this will be the last time we'll be together for a while, I want to tell you now how much you mean to me," he said. "Promise me you'll take care of yourself, and that we'll owl whenever we can. I want to be with you, and even if I can't do that physically, I want to be with you mentally and emotionally."

            "You already are," replied Hermione, stealing a kiss from him before promising him. "Just be careful out there, Harry. With Death Eaters out there…"

            He nodded, looking down at her with love and tenderness. "I swear it."

            They then left Hermione's room together, walking close enough for people to know that they had descended a level in their relationship, but far enough away to not paw each other as they would have done.

            When they arrived in the hallway where the others were waiting. Dean and Seamus were standing off with the Knights, talking in low tones, and saying their goodbyes to Oliver and Ryan. 

            Ginny and Draco were standing together, dark expressions on their faces. They said nothing to anyone, and kept their dark moods in check – it was enough for people to avoid them. 

            Ron stood with Dumbledore, both talking animatedly about Quidditch, before stopping to look at Hermione and Harry, who arrived. 

            Silence fell, making them both entirely uncomfortable. Ron and Harry shared a look, and Ron broke the silence by announcing, "There you are, Harry! Glad to see that Hermione found you!" he turned to Hermione, "Where did you find him? And I do apologize now for waking you up so early, Hermione – when Harry disappeared last night, I knew that you could help find him."

            "It's no problem Ron, I wanted to see everyone go anyways. I found him in the library, just a couple floors up," replied Hermione, secretly glad that she could trust the redhead. With a glance at the other Weasley, and her stiff back, Hermione knew that Ginny realized she had been lying. That could be trouble later…

            Shaking her head, they stood in front of Dumbledore who smiled down at Hermione, before addressing the ones who were to travel with him back to Talamanca. 

            "We leave now, then," he said, the twinkle in his eye as his gaze swept over Hermione and Harry. 

            Silently, the large group trekked back down the beaten path that they had come from, taking in the last sights of the beautiful Lorien Island. Harry could hear the birds chattering in the background, and the brush of leaves being pushed around as animals scurried about, but nothing could make him not realize how close Hermione was standing next to him. 

            He kept his control in check, and squeezed his eyes tightly shut, repeating over and over in his head, _I will not jump her, I will not jump her!_ Until she placed her hand in his, squeezing it gently. 

            He visibly calmed down, and flashed her a small smile; nothing that didn't go unnoticed by three people. 

            Finally, they reached the edge of the forest, and spotted two small rowboats that were bobbing gently against the dock. In the distance, they could see a large vessel waiting for them. 

            Hermione stood with Bode and Croaker slightly behind her and Ryan and Oliver behind them, watching the others as they stepped into the rowboats. As soon as everyone was in them, they magically began to move out into the sea where the large vessel was waiting for them. 

            Harry and Hermione kept their eyes locked on each until Harry faded into the mists that surrounded Castle Lorien…

            As he had reflected, he didn't notice that Ginny and Draco were looking at him with an odd look reflecting in their eyes…

**-**

            In the dark caves up north at the very edge of the Talamancaian Woods, Voldemort was plotting. He knew he had to get more supporters, and where else would be best except for the Black Clan in the Belluci Desert? 

            He sat back in his throne, looking over his loyal subjects (or so he knew better). They were just waiting for him to give the command. Something that Albus Dumbledore's followers wouldn't think he would do. 

            Finally, the idea struck him like a bolt of lightning – and with his masterful plan in mind, he raised a hand to gain the attention of the Death Eaters.

            "I have had a brilliant idea – something that the Priest would not believe possible," a slow grin was forming on the young man's face. "I want all of you… to just go out there and have fun. Attack some villages, plunder a bit. Work your way to the Belluci Desert, and then once you are at the Black Clan, we shall head to the Mystic Lands…"

            There was some twittering amongst his followers, before Voldemort continued. 

            "I will need my Death Eaters to be there for me, if we are attacked. When I reached the Mystic Lands, I will be twice as strong as I am now, as I will be controlling all the old magick that resides dormant there… and that is where we will have the battle of the era!"

            Cheers rose from his followers, and Voldemort smiled inwardly. They were so easy to control.

**-**

            Bode raced through the marble white halls of Lorien castle, clutching the most recent letter that Dumbledore had sent him. Although Hermione's year wasn't finished, the world was in dire need of their Enchantress, and time was running short, as Voldemort was moving ahead with his plans sooner than everyone had thought. 

            He skidded to a halt before an open door, where he could see Hermione leaning over a tabletop, writing something on her parchment. Fleur was standing over her, watching as she wrote, and smiling. 

            Rapping on the door, he made both females look up at him, curiosity written all over their faces. 

            "Is something wrong, Bode?" asked Hermione, frowning. 

            Bode wheezed, before stepping into the room and handing Hermione wordlessly the letter. Her eyes skimmed over the scrawl, rereading a couple sentences. Finally, she pushed her chair back and stood, glancing at Fleur once before turning to Bode. 

            "Tell Oliver and Ryan it's time to head back to Talamanca."

            A couple hours later, Hermione was standing next to Oliver and Ryan, their hands clasping their staffs tightly as she went over what the letter had said. 

            "Basically, Voldemort is on the move and we need to head back to Talamanca to stop him," she said. "Are you okay with that?"

            "Of course," Ryan nodded and said, his eyes dark and troubled. Oliver remained speechless, but his own eyes mirrored Ryan's. They were both ready to fight. "We'll apparate then, right into the Talamancaian Clan's location."

            "Excellent. We should leave now, then," agreed Hermione, taking hold of the arm Oliver was offering her. As they turned back to Fleur, Bode and Croaker, they waved and wished them good luck once more, before the ground beneath their feet swooped and dived, creating a new foundation. 

            The world around them blurred and then reappeared as something different, but also something familiar. They were back in the Talamancaian Forest, and before them were a couple of Knights practicing their defense. 

            One stood and straightened before turning to them. "Oliver! Ryan!" he shouted, dropping his staff in surprise. "What the 'ell are you two doin' 'ere?"

            The rest of the Knights turned towards them at their name, and bowed as they saw Hermione with them, out of respect. 

            "We need to see Dumbledore or Harry. Are they here?" asked Hermione, stepping forward. She was in no mood for nonsense. 

            "Hermione!" shouted a new voice, and she turned to see Ron running towards her, and jumping over a log. Raising an eyebrow, Hermione felt a small smile appear on her lips, seeing that the redhead was well. 

            "Hello Ron," she replied, as the gangly boy swept her up into a hug. "I see that you are well."

            "Yep," he replied, setting her down, before placing an arm around her shoulders. "Here to surprise Harry?"

            Hermione laughed. "Actually, I need to talk to him and Dumbledore. We got news about Voldemort moving ahead with plans. I'm here to help stop him."

            The playful mood was all but gone at Hermione's direct and blunt sentence, leaving Ron speechless. 

            "Well…" he began slowly, "Harry should be around here somewhere. C'mon let's go look for him."

            Hermione nodded, telling Ryan and Oliver to stick close by in the area, before leaving with Ron to try to find Harry. "How has everyone been?" asked Hermione. 

            "All right, I suppose," answered Ron, his voice a bit hesitant.

            "That doesn't sound so sure."

            "Well, Ginny and Malfoy are always together lately, and are usually talking in low voices. Sometimes I catch what they are saying, and it never makes sense. Though, I do hear them mention Harry often, and your name, and even sometimes Death Eaters," sighed Ron. "I hope she knows what she's getting into."

            "I think she does, but if you'd like, I'll talk to her later," replied Hermione, smiling up at Ron. 

            He looked relived, and nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that. She's the only girl around here, and I know she feels a bit lonely."

            "I can imagine," laughed Hermione as they entered Harry's office, which was in a hollowed out tree trunk. There, Harry sat, his head bent over a parchment as he pondered over it. 

            "Hey Harry," said Ron in greeting. "You've got a visitor."

            "Tell Sirius I can't talk right now, I'm trying to plan what Voldemort is up to next."

            "He's off to the Belluci Desert," answered Hermione with a smile on her lips. Harry's head shot up, and his eyes widened when he saw her.

            "Hermione!" Harry shot up out of his seat, making it clatter on the ground as it fell backwards. "What… how?"

            Hermione laughed and gravitated towards Harry, as he wrapped his arms around her tightly, inhaling her unique scent. "I just arrived. Dumbledore sent me news of what Voldemort is up to, and Bode agreed that its time to test some of the new powers I've learnt."

            Harry laughed, holding her close. "Well, at least we know that we've got an amazing brain on our side."

            "Don't underestimate Voldemort… from what I understand, he's a genius," said Hermione softly, burrowing her head in Harry's shoulder. "Anyways, we should make a plan of attack."

            Ron nodded, agreeing, although neither Harry nor Hermione saw him do so. Clearing his throat, he continued, "Hey you two… I know you haven't seen each other in about nine months, but could you cut the lovey-dovey stuff until later when you're alone?"

            This earned laughter from the two, who broke apart. "Right, Ron," said Harry, "Let's call a meeting, ASAP, all right? Get everyone here."

            Ron nodded, and spun on his heel out of the office, and disappeared shouting, "EMERGENCY MEETING!"

            Harry chuckled, watching Ron's retreat, before looking back down at Hermione. "It's been too long," he murmured. 

            "It has," she agreed. She was about to add more, when the fire that burned in the center of Harry's office changed colours, roaring to life and turning red. 

            They sprang back, towards the entrance of the office, watching the fire with narrowed eyes. Hermione had a hand up, ready to chant the water spell she had learnt, when a piece of parchment flew out of it and landed on the floor in front of their feet. 

            Hesitantly, Harry reached for it, undoing the wax seal of two snakes, and read the contents. 

            _"The time of peace is in the past. The time of war is in the future. Be prepared, Enchantress. Your time draws near."_

            Harry and Hermione shared a look, foreboding settling deep in their stomachs. The war had begun. 

**-**

I decided to let this chapter out early, mainly because I wasn't getting the reviews I wanted for the previous chapter, but also because I got bored and didn't want to study for my last exam tomorrow afternoon. So wish me luck, and please review this chapter. I know it's pretty crappy and doesn't have that much action, but that'll come soon enough. **Enjoy!**


	12. Enchantress of the Day and Night XI

Enchantress of the Day and Night

Kneazle

Disclaimer: All characters/ideas belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastics, etc, K.A. Applegate's _EverWorld_, _Fern Gully: the Last Rainforest_,_ Mist of Avalon (the movie)_, _Aladdin_, _Ever After_, _Chocolat_, _The Count of Monte Cristo_ and from _Enchantress of the Stars_ by Sylvia Louise Engdahl, Cirque De Soliel. Also, my odd dreams take some ideas,** Princess Mononoke** by Hayao Miyazaki, **The Vision of Escaflowne**, **Rayearth: the OVA**, **Record of Lodoss War**, **Tekken: The Motion Picture**, **Macross Plus**, **Blue Submarine No. 6**, **Pretty Solider Sailor Moon**, **Dragonball Z-GT**, **Babylon Tokyo**, _X-Men: Evolution_, _The Princess Bride_, and from "Disney's Atlantis", _Sweep_ by Cate Tiernan, and _Circle of Magic_ by Tamora Pierce. Most information that is for the covens is based on Wicca, _The Dragon's Tapestry, The Prism Moon _and_ The Taker's Key _by Martine Bates, _Circle of Three_ by Isobel Bird, and most clan information is from _Young Wizards Series_ by Diane Duane, _Lord of the _Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, _Hexwood_ by Diana Wynne Jones and _Daughters of the Moon_ by Lynne Ewing. Information I use can be found at the following websites: Bibliomania**,** Wiccan.com **and** Feri.com. You can find other information just by surfing the net and looking for information on historical witches and wizards, and Wicca sites. **~AND~** _Exodus_ by Julie Bertagna, the movie (2001) _Brotherhood of the Wolf_, _Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers)_. 

**-**

Chapter Eleven

          The fire danced in front of Ginny's eyes, giving her an ethereal look. She stared into the red embers, her mind lost as it wandered about the many things that were going on in her life. 

          When Harry had told the Talamancaian Clan just what Voldemort had sent them, Ginny felt no fear. She had been confused, wondering how that was possible, since when she first saw Draco's Dark Mark she felt frightened. In the past, when the Elders would talk about Dark Magick, she would tremble in fear and clutch tightly to Hermione, whimpering as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the hushed voices speaking of the evil deeds the man had done. 

          But now… now there was nothing. She felt indifferent, completely neutral and isolated from the actual problem. She wondered when she changed, and why. However, before she could go down that possible lane, she spotted Draco moving through the thin trees only to come and sit across from her, also staring into the fire.

          Ginny regarded him silently. _He is certainly no Harry – who is the epitome of my universe. While Harry is dark in his looks, Draco is light; Harry's eyes are a dark emerald, while Draco's are as cool as ice; Harry is stocky and on the short side, while Draco is tall and lean… they are so different, yet so alike. Draco is not like Harry at all. He's sharp around the edges, but smooth on the inside. And yes, he might be manipulative, but he does it for the greater good. He is on no-one's side in this war, but his own._

          With a start, Ginny's eyes went out of focus and back into focus as she realized just where her thoughts had started to change. She wasn't in love with Harry, as she had thought. Draco had changed that. She was in love with him, or what she thought was love, at least.

          Looking up at the change of air, Draco raised an eyebrow asking, "Something wrong, Ginny?"

          "N-No," she stuttered back, her eyes darting to the ground beside her, where ashes from previous fires they had built were. 

          Draco snorted. "I'm sure." He didn't pressure her, though; she would talk when she was ready. Instead, he cleared his throat and asked, "So what are we going to do now that the Enchantress is back? It ruins your chances of getting close to Harry now."

          Ginny turned her head away. "I don't know," she murmured quietly.

          Draco looked at Ginny with shrewish eyes. "What do you mean, you don't know? Do you still want his attentions or not?" 

          Ginny sighed, over exaggerating her shoulders to rise and fall. "Look, Draco – I just don't know anymore. I – I don't think I want him that way anymore. Before I wanted his attentions, him to look at me with desire… but…"

          "But?" prodded the blond.

          "But… I realized those were silly fantasies of a little girl. A little girl who wanted something that she couldn't have," finished Ginny wretchedly. She lifted her head and looked towards her right; there, a couple yards away sat Hermione and Harry in a large group, probably discussing tactics. However, Harry and Hermione were sitting closely together and off, further away from the fire than the others were. They looked completely absorbed with each other. 

          "Hermione won the game, and I lost. I'll just have to understand that," she continued, looking at Draco, who had followed her line of sight. "I won't keep you from going after her, though, if that is what your job is. But I want to know what it is. I don't want you keeping secrets from me any more."

          Draco looked at Ginny sharply. "What do you mean, secrets?"

          "You know exactly what I mean, Draco. I want to know whose side you're on, and what game you're playing with us." _With me,_ she added silently.

          The young man regarded Ginny with narrowed eyes. She had been a valuable assistant for the past half-year in gathering information for him and doing what he wanted, but was he ready to let her in on his secrets? Some of those secrets, Snape had said, could cost him his life, if she told them to someone else. It was always best not to get emotionally attached, Snape had instructed. 

          But for Draco Malfoy, it was already too late. He was already emotionally attached to Ginny, whether he liked it or not. 

          Sighing, he looked down into the fire's glowing heat, wondering just where to start. _The beginning is a good place,_ a nasty voice in his head whispered. Draco nodded inwardly, before shifting his position to look at Ginny better. 

          "All right, Ginny… I'll tell you."

**-**

          Two hours later, Ginny let out a long breath. "I—I never knew…"

          "Of course you didn't," said Draco with a wry smile, one that he would never show to almost anyone else. "You're not… angry with me?"

          Ginny contemplated this. "You know, I should be… but I can't."

          Draco nodded. "All right. The plan is still on, or else I will be killed; you understand that, right?"

          "Yes," said Ginny, almost hesitantly. "It doesn't mean that I don't like it. Hermione is my friend, and I love her like a sister. Just promise that you won't harm her."

          "You know I wouldn't."

          "I know, but I still want to hear it," said the redhead, "Please Draco."

          Draco sighed, and moved to sit beside the younger girl. "I promise, Ginny."

          "Thank you."

**-**

          Sirius Black leaned forward over the tree trunk that served as a tabletop for the select group that was looking over a map of the Gaea. One of his tanned, callus fingers pointed at a small fertile land in the Belluci Desert. 

          "This is where the Black Clan is," he said, looking up and brushing some black hair away from his face. "We need a group of skilled warlocks to go there and intercept the Death Eater's before they arrive there."

          "I'm going," said Hermione right away. "It gives me a chance to test my new skills."

          "Absolutely not!" retorted Harry. "I won't have it – you could be hurt!"

          Ron rolled his eyes, murmuring a, "not again," under his breath, before positioning his body to face the other way. 

          Sirius looked questioningly at him, before he realized that a row was going on between the two, and this fight was just _not_ normal.

          "Dammit, Harry – I am going to save the world! I need to know how to do some things before I actually fight Voldemort!" yelled Hermione, glaring at her lover.

          Harry narrowed his eyes. "I don't want to see you hurt in some petty little fight with the Black Clan! You should go back to Lorien and study more!"

          "Study, study, study," moaned Hermione, "That's all I ever do. I want _adventure_! I crave the adrenaline rush that you get before you strike! _That's_ what I want, Harry. Please, understand this."

          Harry sighed, turning away slightly to think the situation over. He didn't want to see Hermione hurt, he cared about her too much, but he also didn't want to hold her back.

          Finally, he turned around, and grabbed Hermione's arms, pulling her close to him. She instinctively wrapped her own arms around him, and breathed in Harry's unique smell.

          Burying his face into her mane, Harry mumbled, "Fine, you can go – if you promise that if things get too complicated you'll get out of there. Deal?"

          "Of course," she replied back, listening to Harry's steady heartbeat. 

          Ron sighed, glad that the eruption was over. "Can we continue this, please? And no more lovey-dovey stuff, it's making me sick."

          The two teens grinned at Ron, apologizing, and glanced at Sirius under their hair. He looked bemused, but didn't say anything. 

          "All right," he cleared his throat, "Now that _that_ is over, we've got our team. So: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, and Oliver will travel to the Black Clan and tried to persuade them to join our cause, and not Voldemort's."

"Don't say that name! Please," said Ron, shuddering. Sirius looked apologetic, but managed to sneak a grin at Harry. 

          "Right. I suppose you'll set out as soon as possible then?" he asked, glancing at his godson. 

          "Of course," replied the young leader. "We'll leave immediately and head north, taking the fastest route."

          Hermione placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Does that mean going through the Poweeke Mountains, before traveling through the Belluci Desert? I don't exactly fancy myself going right by Voldemort's lair to get into Poweeke Territory. Can we just apparate there?"

          "Stop saying that name!" opposed Ron, shuddering and not even speaking more of the mission. 

          Sirius frowned. "We've never done much apparation before. It might be difficult at first."

          Hermione shook her head. "Oliver and I do it all the time. I've learnt how to do it by myself now. Oliver and I can each take an extra person and then apparate back here to get the last ones."

          Harry felt a twinge of jealousy at the casual reference to Oliver, but mentally shrugged it away and told himself he was being silly.

          Sirius nodded, as Ron and Harry's head swiveled back and forth between the two. "That seems possible. Do you want to do this right now, and head out ASAP?"

          "I'd like that," agreed Hermione, smiling at Sirius. "Are you okay with that? And how long will we be there?"

          The conversation continued on for another couple of hours, organizing a plan and making back-ups incase something was to happen.

          Finally, as twilight descended on the group, Hermione yawned and said that she would like to rest, since she had been up for quite some time. 

          "I'll speak with Draco Malfoy tomorrow about our plans. I know that you," said Hermione, looking at Harry directly. "Do not like him. Besides, it will give me a chance to speak with Ginny. We… haven't spoken for quite some time now."

          The three men in the room nodded, before Hermione turned and began to leave. 

          "Hermione, I'll escort you back…" started Harry, but Hermione smiled and waved him off.

          "There's no need, Harry. I'll be fine, nice and safe, here. Go back to Sirius and Ron. You need to plan some more. I'll see you tomorrow," she smiled, before standing on her toes to give him a chaste kiss goodnight. "Till tomorrow."

          "Tomorrow," whispered back Harry, grinning in the moonlight. He watched his siren continue on through the camp towards the glowing light where the fire was, talk to Oliver and Ryan, before they walked with her to the rooms they were given. 

          With a sigh, Harry turned and went back into his office; his mind still reeling from the simple kiss Hermione had given him.

**-**

          Birds sang in the early morning light, as rodents scampered through the undergrowth where Hermione was walking. She hummed a little tune as she made her way to a riverbank where she was told she could find clean water.

          Stepping around a fallen log, Hermione spotted the glistening light that reflected off the water, and grinned. She had found the location easily – the water had called her to it, and all she had to do was follow its whispery voice.

          It still frightened her to realize just how much power she wielded. 

          As she crouched beside the cool liquid, a splash called her attention to a soaking wet blond haired young man, naked from the waist up. 

          "Gone swimming have you?" asked Hermione steadily, smiling at the intruder. 

          Draco Malfoy turned his pale blue eyes on Hermione. "I like to keep clean, unlike _some_ of the Talamancaians."

          Hermione rolled her eyes. She cupped her hands and dipped them into the water, before lifting them and brining the fluid to her mouth. After taking a few sips, she said casually, "We're leaving for the Black Clan this afternoon."

          Draco's pale eyebrow arched as he regarded Hermione calmly. "Really. Who is 'we'?"

          Hermione inwardly smiled. Hook, line, and sinker – the bait had worked. "Why, Harry, Oliver, Ron and myself."

          Draco scowled. "Three dunderheads and one brilliant mind amongst you. I'm coming – you'll need help. Those three are too emotionally charger to plan and devise a flawless strategic attack."

          Hermione laughed openly, as Draco scowled some more. "I was hoping you would say that," she grinned. 

          Draco looked puzzled. "Why would you want me to come with you and the others to the Black Clan?"

          Hermione sighed and tipped her head back as she sat on the grassy bank. "Draco… I don't know you. The first time we met, I was still getting over the fact that my Coven was destroyed. Now, after knowing you for the better half of a year, I want to know you more." She looked at him. "Oh, not romantically. I have Harry and I'm quite happy with him… but you… there's a secret that you have and that you're keeping from everyone…"

          Draco felt his heart quicken as sweat began to trek down his neck. Did she know? Was she going to spill his secret? Fear began to pulse low in his stomach.

          "Oh?" he asked, sounding calm and collected; oh how he felt so different than what he was speaking like!

          Hermione laughed again. "You've got a secret but I'm not going to press you with it. I'm going to trust you and hope that you'll reveal it in good time… but you also know things that Harry, Ron and Oliver don't know, and for that, we need you to help us. Will you?"

          Hoped shined through her eyes as she regarded Draco, who was standing in the water, so still that he looked like a statue. Draco knew that he couldn't keep the secret to himself for much longer, and Ginny wouldn't be able to too. Things were going to move quickly for the Dark Lord, and Hermione and Dumbledore would need all the help that they could get.

          "Sure," said Draco flippantly. "I'll be there. When do we leave?"

          "As soon as possible… or more so, when you said yes."

          Draco felt the flare of anger in his blood. He wouldn't be able to tell Ginny where he was going! Now what was going to happen?

          Hermione stood and began to head back to the camp. "You've got twenty minutes. We're meeting in the center of the clan."

          _Twenty minutes!_ Draco felt like screaming. That barely gave him time to get his clothes on again and rush back to the camp, find Ginny and help her make a portkey so she could follow them!

          Gritting his teeth, he waited until Hermione was out of his sight, and then began to swim to the far shore where his clothing was.

          _Damn her if she was her goody-goody friends were going to get all the glory for helping out the light side! Not while he was around!_

**-**

          Panting and puffing, Seamus crouched down slightly and began to breath in through his nose to stop breathing so hard. He, Dean, the Knights, Dumbledore, Sirius and Remus had apparated to an area near the large chain of mountains that were known as the Poweeke. The area was lush and green, filled with long reed grass that swayed in the gentle, cool breeze.

          The whole area at the base of the mountains was simple, with fields and meadows with hippogriffs, Pegasus', and horses grazing in the distance. 

          "Oy, what's that?" asked Dean, pointing as he wheezed slightly. 

          Dumbledore stood, radiating power, as his old blue eyes squinted against the fading sunlight. 

          "It appears to be a camp…" he trailed off. "Why, a Death Eater camp!"

          "Are you saying this will be our battle front?" asked Cedric, looking around the fields. "Kinda anticlimactic, if you ask me."

          "Perhaps we should send some of our Knights out to scout the Death Eater camp tonight?" asked Remus, glancing at Dumbledore. 

          He nodded. "Yes, it appears that we should do that. Sirius, could you contact Harry's group near the Black Clan? To find out how they're doing?"

          Sirius nodded, and headed back into the forest that separated the fields of the Poweeke Plains between the mountains and Talamanca. 

          He found the other Knights who were beginning to set up camp, and asked one of them to find an owl that he could use. Once the young man returned, Sirius set off to write Harry a letter on their position and the Death Eater's placement. They weren't expecting them to set up camp so early, and especially further from the Mystic Lands, and Voldemort's Lair, but Sirius couldn't complain. 

          _Dear Harry,_ he wrote on his parchment. 

          _We've reached the Poweeke Plains, and have found a Death Eater camp here. I think they're waiting for us to begin the war with them, but we're sending scouts out tonight-in case, to see what there is. I hope you and your friends are doing well by the Black Clan. We'll keep you posted._

_          Sirius_

          Sirius folded the parchment up, and placed it in the owl's beak. "Take this Harry Potter, right away, all right?"

          The owl hooted, spread her great brown wings, and took flight.

          Sirius watched her go, until she was nothing but a speck in the sky.

**-**

          Harry's eyes were closed; savoring the feeling of Hermione's arms wrapped around his waist, as she apparated him and Ron to the Black Clan in Eastern Poweeke territory. They had left in the afternoon, as it had taken Malfoy some time to find Ginny and kept putting off the actual time they were going to apparate away to – but finally they arrived. 

          Sirius and the others had left earlier to find Death Eaters, and to track Voldemort down. Harry had been out of touch with his Godfather for almost twelve hours, and he was worrying himself silly.

          Opening his eyes, Harry looked around at the landscape. They were standing on soft sand, a light beige colour that was only found in Poweeke and along the shores of Talamanca. In the distance, Harry could make out the fine, darker colour of a forest, and then, for as far as he could see, were fields of long grass. 

          "Where's the Clan?" asked Ron, narrowing his eyes against the sunlight. "I don't see anything around here."

          "It should be somewhere near here… they wouldn't go too far inland," answered Oliver, the sun glinting off his wooden staff. 

          "Well, let's go find it!" smiled Hermione, before skipping off down the shore, away from the Belluci Peninsula that was to the west of them. 

          "Hermione!" called Harry, running to catch up with her. Oliver, Draco and Ron followed, rolling their eyes. 

          They continued along the shoreline, when they caught up with Hermione and Harry, and found themselves talking about nothingness. 

          They were so caught up in their discussion about magical properties ("Asphodel and wolfsbane don't mix!" "Yes they do!") That they hardly realized that had stumbled upon the Black Clan's foundation.

          Harry stumbled over some rocks, before he said, "I think we're here…"

          "Why would you say that, Potty?" sneered Draco, before Harry pointed behind him. Turning, Draco saw that Harry was right; tents were propped up here and there along the shoreline.

          "Those are awfully large tents," muttered Hermione, standing next to one, as she looked up. "It's nearly fourteen feet tall."

          "Who would need dome-like ceilings in their nomadic homes?" pondered aloud Ron, taking a step closer to Hermione. 

          "The people of the Black Clan," came a new voice. The five teenagers jumped and turned, looking for the speaker. 

          Stepping from around a tent was a teenaged girl, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a purple cloak, and her hood was drawn.

          "Lavender!" exclaimed Ron, bounding forward. "We thought you disappeared on us in the Mystic Lands!"

          "No," said the soft-spoken girl, stopping the redhead before he embraced her. "I had some business to attend to. But I see you've found your way here."

          Harry nodded and stepped closer. "What are you doing here, Lavender?"

          "I can because I saw that you would need my help here," she answered, looking at each of them in turn.

          Hermione scoffed in a quiet voice, "divination. Ha! What rubbish!" Draco privately agreed with her.

          Lavender chose to ignore her, and continued on. 

          "I sensed that you would need my help very soon. And you would need my guidance, Enchantress," she turned to Hermione, her blue eyes flashing in the warm spring twilight, "When it comes to the war that will begin soon."

          "Do tell us something that we don't know," snickered Draco, stepping up next to Hermione, crossing his arms and shifting his weight so that his hip nearly hit Hermione's. 

          Harry bristled, his eyes growing darker as he regarded the two, both who had their arms crossed and teeth clenched.

          "Come on, Hermione – let's look for some clues as to wear the Black Clan is," sniffed Draco, his nose in the air. Together, the two of them set off towards the middle of the camp, with Hermione's eyes locked on Harry's as they passed one another.

          Harry made a move to step in line after her – still angered by the fact that Draco had called Hermione by her informal name when she gave him no permission to do so – when Ron grabbed the back of his shirt.

          "Let her go, mate. She needs time to cool down. 'Sides, it's not your responsibility to go after her every time she loses her cool," he said gently, releasing his friend slowly. 

          Harry nodded, and turned back to Lavender. Oliver rolled his eyes and bowed his leave. 

          "I will be with Hermione and Lord Malfoy," he said, repulsion in his voice as he raised an eyebrow at Ron and Harry in disdain. He walked off in the same direction that the other two had gone in, his back straight and proud as he did so.

          Lavender watched with her eyes hooded, wisely keeping any comments to herself. 

          Harry sighed, and hung his head. "So what do we do now?"

          "Well," smiled Lavender, brightening up. "We should keep an eye out on the horizon to see if the Clan would return soon – would you like to take the West perimeter with myself, Ron? Harry could stay here and watch the South."

          Ron nodded enthusiastically, grinning widely. He followed Lavender like a lovesick puppy, his posture completely relaxed as he walked away from his best friend for a _girl_.

          Sighing, Harry watched them disappear, as he realized that everyone had left him. That was not something he had wanted.

          Sitting down on the grass, Harry began watching the horizon of the forest, to see if anyone would walk out of it and towards the settlement, when something large and heavy fell on his shoulder in a grip that he thought would break his bones.

          "Now… what do we 'ave 'ere?"

**-**

God, I feel like a total bitch for leaving this story hanging and open-ended like this for some time now. Life really snuck up on me, and since December I've been in a depression that has totally rocked my life – sometimes for the best, and for the worst.

However, I finally updated EDN, and with hopes that the next four-five chapters left will be out by the time school ends for this year in Canada. Midterms are in, and I'm more than pleased with my marks for a change. :) Yah me!

Reviews:

Liachun (Megan): Action will be coming soon, I promise you that!

Crystal Music: LOL, Hermione and Harry are about seventeen, eighteen in the story; I'm kind of basing this story on "olden days" and their traditional values where people got married (or bonded) young. I'm glad you think I'm staying in character, it's actually VERY hard, and I do hope I'm doing a good job! ((Looks worried)) LOL, as for grammar and spelling, if my spell check doesn't pick it up, then I'm only guessing it's right, even after I double-check it. I'm no queen of grammar, but I can say that I do try. I'll work harder on noticing the problems though. Truth be told, I've only seen about two _Record of Lodoss War_ episodes, but I loved them! Thanks for your review!

Marian: HELLO LUV!! It's been a while, hasn't it?? ((Grins)) Thanks for your review, Marian – LOL, I know you like EDN, but I'm hardly better than Tolkien! Maybe Jane Austen… but not Tolkien ((laughs and jokes))

Anonymous: Thanks for the review!!

Evil666: The outline is written – I just need to fill everything out with the dialogue and the other necessities now, but for the most part, the story is written and nearly done. BTW, like your name! ;)

Sugar Quill: Thank you!! Hope you enjoyed this part!

Stoneheart: Do I really need to tell you how much I enjoyed and loved your review by now? ((Grins)) Do know that I've been taking your Ginny-Draco reformations in light, and it seems you might be getting that wish!! ;) Stay tuned for the Crouching Gryffindor and the Hidden Slytherin – they'll confront one another soon!

To anyone else who read but didn't review: Thanks for reading and keep enjoying the story!!

~ Kneazle (April 11, 2003)


	13. Enchantress of the Day and Night XII

Enchantress of the Day and Night

Kneazle

Disclaimer: All characters/ideas belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastics, etc, K.A. Applegate's _EverWorld_, _Fern Gully: the Last Rainforest_,_ Mist of Avalon (the movie)_, _Aladdin_, _Ever After_, _Chocolat_, _The Count of Monte Cristo_, _Enchantress of the Stars_ by Sylvia Louise Engdahl, Cirque De Soliel, **Princess Mononoke** by Hayao Miyazaki, **The Vision of Escaflowne**, **Rayearth: the OVA**, **Record of Lodoss War**, **Tekken: The Motion Picture**, **Macross Plus**, **Blue Submarine No. 6**, **Pretty Solider Sailor Moon**, **Dragonball Z-GT**, **Babylon Tokyo**, _X-Men: Evolution_, _The Princess Bride_, "Disney's Atlantis", _Sweep_ by Cate Tiernan, _Circle of Magic_ by Tamora Pierce, _The Dragon's Tapestry, The Prism Moon _and_ The Taker's Key _by Martine Bates, _Circle of Three_ by Isobel Bird, _Young Wizards Series_ by Diane Duane, _Lord of the _Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, _Hexwood_ by Diana Wynne Jones, _Daughters of the Moon_ by Lynne Ewing, Bibliomania.com, Wiccan.com, Feri.com, _Exodus_ by Julie Bertagna, the movie (2001) _Brotherhood of the Wolf_, _Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers)_, Mel Gibson's _Braveheart_

Summary: AU – In a world where witches and warlocks battle over slavery rights, where no sex is seen as an equal, a precious few gather to change the races' views before the war between the two escalates into something that could be the beginning – or end – of an era. 

**-**

Chapter Twelve

          Harry paled and turned around quickly, his eyes resting on the leather lace-up boots of _very_ large feet. His eyes then continued to travel upwards, over brown cottony pants, tied at a very wide waist by lighter, fawn-coloured material. The shirt was long and loose, made of the same material and colour of the pants. A long, long, large black-brown jacket hung from the man's shoulders. A scraggly beard with matching crinkly brown eyes peered down on him.

          "Ah… I think I'll be going now," said Harry, his eyes wide and blurring slightly. He slipped out from under the giant's hand (no small feat), and then proceeded to shout at the top of his lungs, "Hermione!"

          He dashed around the nearest tent, smashing into another large pair of feet, ones that were twice as large than his last giant companion. 

          _What the hell?_ He thought, before backtracking and heading in the direction that Hermione, Draco and Oliver had gone off to. 

          Emerald green eyes glanced this way and that, making sure that there were no trees pretending to be giants in disguise. He had enough scares for one day – and he certainly didn't need any more.

          He skidded across the dirt ground, sliding a bit past a tent and then backtracking to continue weaving through the large community. 

          He had only passed a couple other tents when he slammed into something big and heavy. Looking up, he saw that it was the giant that he had met before while on watch.

          "Now, where d'you think yer going?" he asked, swooping down and lifting Harry. 

          Wiggling around, Harry tried to find his way out of the giant's crushing parody of an embrace, only to be tightened to the his jacket. 

          "Let me go! I demand that you do this instant!" commanded Harry in his best "I am James Potter's son – hear me roar!" voice. 

          "Ahh… ah don' think ah will," replied the giant, his voice rumbling from deep in his throat. Harry felt it before he spoke.

          "And why not?" asked Harry, realizing escape was futile at the moment. He decided to relax and enjoy the short ride towards the stone building he and his friends had neglected to notice earlier.

          "Because yer trespassing on our lands," the giant continued with a deep chuckle. "Didn't yeh know this was the land of the Black Clan? We giants?"

          "Um… no," a sheepish Harry replied. "We're kind of on a Death Eater hunt at the moment."

          "Well, there are no Death Eaters here," said the giant before entering the stone building. "Ah'm Hagrid, by the way. Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of the keys and grounds of the Black Clan."

          Hagrid set Harry down on the dirt ground, before backing up a couple steps and shutting an iron gate. Harry winced as the gate slammed shut – it was only then did he realize he was in a prison. 

          "Pardon me for not shaking your hand, Hagrid. Now, why don't you let me out?" he smiled, hoping to win some points. 

          "Sorry, ah can't do that," shook the massive head. 

          "Why not?"

          "Me mum was the one who order me ta place yeh in here – you and yer friends. Gotta find them now, too." The giant rubbed the back of his head. "Yah see, me mum is the Giantess of this here clan. I can't do what she doesn' want meh to."

          Harry saw the logic and reason in that. "Oh. I see."

          "Do yeh? I hoped yah did. I like you, boy – actually, you look mighty familiar," said Hagrid, peering closely at him. "'Ave we met before?"

          "I'm afraid not. You make quite the impression," laughed Harry, before settling himself down on the dirt floor. "I suppose I'll just sit here and wait for you to find my friends. Just don't hurt Hermione – I love her."

          "Which one is she?" asked Hagrid, as he made to move back to the enormous opening in the building. 

          "The one with the bushy hair and brown eyes."

          "A'right."

          And then Hagrid was gone.

**-**

          "Something doesn't seem right," whispered Draco to Hermione and Oliver as they stooped behind some bushes on the far Eastern side of the Black Clan grounds. 

          "Why do you say that, Lord Malfoy?" asked Oliver, looking past Hermione to see the blond young man. 

          "Harry, Ron and Lavender should've been past this area already if they were doing a search of the grounds. We haven't seen any of them since an hour ago," he said. "Besides, the grounds aren't _that_ large."

          "That's true," replied Hermione. "Do you want me to place a locating charm on Harry?"

          "That might be a good idea," nodded Oliver, looking over their shoulders to make sure nothing was creeping up on them.

          Hermione nodded back, picking up a twig that lay on the ground and placing it vertically in front of her. Then, she laid her palms face down in front of her, parallel to the black soil. She closed her eyes, and whispered, "Point Me to Harry Potter."

          The twig on the ground started moving around and around in circles, before it finally pointed northwest. 

          "How accurate is that?" asked Draco in wonder. 

          "Fairly. It only shows direction, however. I would need something of Harry's to do a more complex, finding spell," answered Hermione, flashing a grin at Draco. "Why?"

          "Because there isn't anything in that direction, isn't there? We checked that way before, and only saw a pile of rocks."

          "Or was it?" mused aloud Oliver. 

          "What do you mean, Ollie?" asked Hermione, raising an eyebrow. 

          "Well… was it really just rocks? I'm sure that it look large enough to be another dwelling…" Oliver trailed off, letting the realization sink in. 

          Hermione paled. "Do you think it's a prison?"

          "Most likely," said Draco, slowly rising from the ground and brushing the dirt off his hands. "Let's go."

          Oliver and Hermione nodded, standing as well as they followed the young Malfoy off towards the stone house.

          They moved stealthy and quietly, keeping to the shadows. As they turned a corner, they heard the drunken laughter coming from further around the corner they were traveling. Oliver put a finger to his lips, and Draco drew his wand out. Hermione began rubbing her hands together, creating tiny sparks of blue and pink and yellow as they bounced off her skin. 

          Together, they peered around the corner and saw a group of giants sitting around a large bonfire, eating and drinking in the growing twilight. They apparently had no concerns about these three strangers, because there was no one on watch. 

          Oliver motioned for them to go around the opposite way. Doing as he said so, the three teenagers crept past the bonfire and giants to the stone building, keeping their backs to the stonewall as they inched their way towards the door.

          Laughter close by made them stop, their breathing halted, as they waited for the voices and laughter to fade. 

          Footsteps made them shrink towards the shadows as Hermione placed a "do not see me" spell on them, so they were allowed more freedom of movement. 

          "This way," whispered Oliver as they entered the dark and damp building. Inside, they were able to move around more freely, as the whole area was dark. As they continued further in the stone building, they heard voices. 

          Two voices, that is.

          "It's Harry!" exclaimed quietly Hermione after a couple minutes listening to the accents.

          "And who?" whispered Draco back. 

          Hermione shrugged. "Shall we go forward?"

          "I will go," replied Oliver. The other two agreed, and he moved forward confidently, his staff still drawn. 

          "Oy, an' who do we 'ave here?" a loud voice, the other one Harry was speaking to, declared. 

          Draco and Hermione exchanged curious looks, and peered around the rock they were hiding behind. They spotted Harry, Ron, Lavender and now Oliver in a prison, guarded by a large giant. 

          "Oh crap," muttered Hermione. "What do we do now?"

          "I don't know," replied Draco, frowning. "Lure him out? Attack?"

          "Well, _I_ don't know how to attack a giant, do you?" sniped Hermione, glaring at Draco. "Because if you do, go right ahead."

          Draco sneered at her. "Enchantress, I wouldn't _dream_ of leaving you vulnerable and in this state of mind."

          "Vulnerable!" shrieked Hermione, not caring that her voice bounced off the walls. "Vulnerable! Malfoy, you are the largest, conceited, egotistical bas—"

          "'Ello! What do we 'ave here?" a voice boomed above them. 

          The two bickering teenagers looked up in unison to see the guard giant grinning above them, peering down at their puny little forms. 

          "Oh shit," they both said at the same time, before hands came down and swept them up.

          "Well, we've been looking fer yeh now fer quite some time," said the giant. "I'm Hagrid, by the way."

          "Lord Draco Malfoy, and put me down this instant, you great oaf!" snapped Draco, glaring and trying to wrestle his way out of Hagrid's hands. 

          Hagrid drowned. "Now, that's no way ta talk to meh."

          Hermione rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and waiting patiently until Hagrid entered the cell and placed her carefully down. 

          "Put me down! Now!"

          "As yeh wish, Lord Malfoy," quipped Hagrid, dropping Draco from waist-high. Draco hit the ground hard on his bottom, letting out a string of curses as he did so. He gingerly stood and began rubbing his backside. 

          Ron and Harry started laughing right away, slapping each other's hands as they did so. 

          Hermione turned and smiled when she saw Harry, only to have that smile fade off. She took a step forward, her eyes shy and downcast. 

          "Hello Harry," she whispered, as Harry smiled softly and shook his head slightly. He came towards Hermione, wrapping her in his arms when he reached her. 

          "Silly Enchantress," he murmured affectionately. "You know I can't stay mad at you."

          Hermione grinned into his chest, wrapping her own arms around him as he kissed the top of her head. 

          "Well, no that _that_ crisis is over," said Ron dryly from his spot against the wall, "Can we now continue with the real problem?"

          "And what is it?" asked Oliver, his Scottish lit heavy with drowsiness. "We're been searching for Death Eaters all day, and it's getting late. Are we going to stay here tonight and then leave in the morning?"

          Harry looked questioningly up at Hagrid. "Are we, Hagrid?"

          The giant shook his head. "Ah don' think so. I'll 'ave ta ask me mum."

          "Why don't you? Please tell her that we're very busy and need to find Voldemort – eh… You-Know-Who – as soon as possible." Hermione said, turning slightly in Harry's embrace to face Hagrid. 

          "Well, ah can ask…" he sighed. "Ah don' know what ah'm goin' ta do. Ah don' even know yer names."

          Hermione smiled. "Well, we'll have to introduce ourselves properly, won't we?" She turned and motioned to Ron to start. 

          He cleared his throat and bowed. "Ronald Weasley, son of Arthur Weasley of the clan Talamanca." He then rose from his bow, and went back to leaning against the stone wall. 

          Lavender bowed her head and said in his slightly whimsical voice, "Lavender Brown, seer."

          Draco snorted, rolling his stormy eyes. His reached Hagrid's and he sneered, "You know who I am," before turning his head towards Oliver and away from the giant who frowned. 

          Oliver shook his head slightly before going down on one knee, and placing his right fist against his heart. "Oliver Wood, Captain of the Priest's Knights, Fifth Regiment. Now currently the Enchantress' guard."

          "Enchantress?" paled Hagrid, glancing at the remaining girl of the group. Harry smiled and pushed Hermione gently away before bowing too, and declaring, "Harry Potter, son of James Potter, leader of the Talamancaian clan."

          "'Arry Potter!" crowed Hagrid. "Bless me soul – it's 'Arry Potter!"

          "Oh brother," moaned Draco, turning his back on the group. 

          "Ah knew yer father, and only saw yeh once when yeh were a wee lad," the giant wailed, as he pulled out a handkerchief and cried into it. "Yeh look just like yer father!" 

          Hermione grinned widely as Harry blushed. She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek before moving in front of Hagrid, separated only by iron bars. She then curtsied deeply, going down on the floor before rising again, in ancient Enchantress, Priest, warlock and witch custom. 

          "I am the Enchantress," she spoke, commanding obedience and attention. Draco turned away from the wall he was looking at to stare at Hermione. Everyone seemed to be drawn in to her, like an angel. "My name is Hermione Granger, leader of the extinct Wycliffe Coven."

          She raised her eyes, looking at Hagrid. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

          Hagrid's watery eyes misted some more, but his sobs stilled, as he took in Hermione's form and curtsey. He then sniffed once, before bawling out a, "Aww… I'll talk ta me mum ta let yeh out – the Enchantress! And little 'Arry Potter!"

          He then turned, nearly running out of the stone building to tell his mother of their captives. 

          Hermione turned, a smile on her face. "That went well, didn't it?"

**-**

Sirius frowned as he searched the night sky again for the twentieth time. Remus looked up from his staff that he was polishing, only to murmur, "Give him time to reply, Padfoot. He's safe, you know that."

          "It's not that, Moony," replied the black-haired man. "Did I ever tell you what happened when I went to find James on the battlefield those seventeen years ago?"

          Remus looked up, stopping completely from his staff. "What about the battle, Sirius?"

          Sirius took a deep breath, turning away from his perch in the trees for signs of the owl he sent off, to face Remus. "Well, I went to the last place I saw James… by the enemies camp. When I got there, the battle was already over and we had won. Our clan was disapperating away, back to their homes, when I stumbled across the ruins of one house in particular. I can remember it like it was yesterday…"

          _The sky was still black form the fires that had been burning across the lands, and the battlefield still smelt like scorched flesh. I was in despair, thinking I would never find James… and of course Lily and Harry. I still don't know why he decided to take them with him to the battlefield – but I suppose it was because he didn't want to leave them behind in Talamanca in case they lost and were ambushed while escaping. _

_          Anyways, I approached the ruins of this house, when I noticed the green smoke billowing from inside. I knew at once, this was where Voldemort had been in residence, and hastened my steps. When I entered the building, I immediately saw James's body on the ground, blocking the doorway from anyone exiting or entering. _

_          I bent to check for his pulse and found none – we knew that he was dead already, but I had to check, Moony. Then, I heard a wail; it was Harry. _

_          I hurried to his side, only after closing James's eyes, and saw Harry lying on the ground swaddled in a blanket by Lily's arms. She too, was dead, staring lifelessly up at the roof of the building. I closed her eyes before picking Harry up as his godfather, ready to take him home with me._

_          It was only when I turned around did I realize that the ashes and left over robes were Voldemort's, and that Harry had been the sole survivor of their encounter._

_          I turned to take him back with me, wondering what James had been doing so far away from our side of the battlefield, when I realized that he was probably escaping before we had our turning point of the battle (and that was capturing the Lestranges, remember?). _

_I carried Harry out, only to be stopped by a giant man – indeed, he was a giant by the name of Rubeus Hagrid. He was a messenger from Dumbledore, who said that Harry was to come and study under him in Castle Lorien. Of course, I said no, Harry is my Godson and no one was going to take him away from me. _

_Hagrid said he had his orders, and I kept saying no, finally winning that case… but I shall never forget the giant, and his kinds words whence he consoled me of James and Lily's departure and his need to take Harry to safety._

"Do you think that he would harm him now, if they met up in the Black Clan?" asked Remus. "I presume that he is there, being a giant and that the Black Clan is the home of the giants."

          "Well, I do wonder," replied Sirius, frowning slightly, his eyes becoming hooded in the darkness. He pointed his staff at a gathering of branches, murmuring a quick, "_incendo._"

          A fire roared to life, licking at the branches greedily as their flames grew in height. Now shrouded in firelight and semidarkness, Sirius let out a sigh. 

          "I am worried about my godson. Is that wrong, Moony?" he asked. 

          "Of course not, old friend," smiled Remus, in his all-knowing wisdom and twinkling eyes. "You are entitled to the right of worrying over him. You are his father, regardless of parentage, and he is your son. Don't forget that."

          Sirius nodded, and clasped Remus on the shoulder. "Thank you, Remy. That was what I needed to hear."

          "I'm glad to be of help."

          They were staring into the flames, lost in their own thoughts, when the cry of their scouts return reached their ears. Hurrying to Dumbledore's side, they watched with growing concern as the young Knights kneeled, their faces white with horror.

          "Milord," said one, breathing heavily, "We've come from the Death Eater camp to give our report. And it is thus: There are no Death Eaters on the site, or around the area. It is a decoy from the original battlefront."

          Dumbledore frowned, before looking up at the stars, which twinkled merrily down at them. 

          His frown deepened, as his eyes grew dark. 

          "Dumbledore?" asked Sirius. "Where are they?"

          "The Mystic Lands," came the reply, the voice of their leader rumbling deep in his throat as anger coursed through his veins. "It was meant as a way to lead us off their scent. They are traveling to the Mystic Lands, and we best be getting there soon."

          "And if we don't?" Cedric asked quietly. 

          Dumbledore's eyes turned sad. "Then Voldemort calls on the ancient power residing in the Mystic Lands and makes himself invincible. We leave at dawn – be ready then."

**-**

**-**

          It was midnight when the hoot of an owl drew everyone in the cell's attention to the large window. 

          There, circling in the sky, it searched for the owner of the letter it was supposed to deliver to. 

          Harry whistled to it, two fingers in his mouth, as Hermione raised her arms and sent her mind out to the owl to draw its attention towards them. 

          It swooped inside the prison, landing on Harry's outstretched arm, nipping gently at his ear as he relived the bird of its burden.

          "What is it?" asked Ron, stepping closer to his friend. Hagrid had been gone for hours now, and they were all getting anxious about their release or to-be-planned escape. 

          "It's a note from Sirius. They found a Death Eater camp," frowned Harry, "This morning. No other notes since then, I'm afraid. They're just going to send scouts to check it out tonight… or rather, a couple hours ago."

          "That's it?" asked Draco. "Then what? Any plans mentioned?"

          "None," Harry shook his head. "That's all that was written here."

          Draco didn't believe him, and snatched the letter from Harry's finger's, only to scan and read it for himself, growing more agitated as he read further. The short note was then crumpled, and a groan escaped the blond's lips. 

          "Now what?" he muttered. 

          "Well," sighed Hermione, rubbing her temples. "I believe we plan our escape. Perhaps they need us."

          It was no sooner than she spoke when another owl soared through the sky, and landed where the previous owl had, on Harry's arm. 

          "Now what?" echoed Draco, an eyebrow raised. "Who is it from this time?"

          "Sirius again," said Harry, surprised. He cleared his throat and read this one out loud. "'Dear Harry,' Sirius wrote, 'Our scouts returned from the Death Eater campsite, only to report that it was empty and set as a decoy for us to storm. Voldemort has set off for the Mystic Lands. Wherever you are, you must leave immediately and make your way there – we will meet you in a week's time, at the Northern side of the Apollo Lake. There, the battle will commence. Bring all your supplies, weapons, and able bodies you can. See you soon and take care, Sirius.'"

          Hermione lowered her head and looked at the ground. "We won't be there in time if we don't leave right away," she said softly. "They'll lose without us there."

          "They'll be slaughtered," agreed Ron, clenching his fist, knowing his brothers and father were going to be at the battlefield. 

          Hermione was about to say more when a clang of iron against iron caught her attention. The group turned to see Hagrid opening the cell door. 

          "Go now," he urged, in a whisper. "Hurry. Me mum doesn' know that ah'm letting yeh out – but the world is at stake, Dumbledore told meh."

          "Dumbledore?" questioned Harry. "How do you know him?"

          Hagrid smiled. "I was suppos'd ta take yeh to Castle Lorien when yah were a baby, 'Arry. Instead, yah godfather took yah with him to Talamanca. I was under Dumbledore's orders, and always am. Ah am loyal to him, and him only – not meh mum, but don' let her know that." He winked as the group slowly trudged out of their cell, towards the Black Clan again.

          They followed Hagrid towards the outermost area of the Black Clan. He handed Oliver a cloth. In it was food, enough to last them all comfortably for a couple of days. 

          "Now, head ta the Mystic Lands, will yeh? We need yeh for the final battle, and its important yeh all arrive on time," he smiled and wiped at tears threatening to fall. 

          He reached over and brought Ron, Harry and Hermione into a bear huge, crushing them to his chest. 

          "Now, now, Hagrid," laughed Hermione as they were put down. "We'll see each other again, I promise."

          "So long," called Harry and Ron as they group began moving out of the Black Clan area. "See you again soon!"

          Hagrid watched them till they were nothing more than specks in the darkness, before they disappeared all together. He would face the wrath of is clansmen and his mother alone, but not without telling them what he knew of their personalities. They were going to save the world, he knew. 

          Poor kids.

**-**

**AN:** Well, no battle. Yet. But, it's getting there. The "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" are great to listen to while writing this. They really made the emotions and flow of the stories go. Well, hope you enjoy this installment. As everything is being dragged out, there might be more chapters than I had previously thought… but no worries. The story is reaching its climax, and then it's all downhill from there on in. Enjoy, and don't forget to leave reviews. I *heart* reviews!


	14. Enchantress of the Day and Night XIII

Enchantress of the Day and Night

Kneazle

Disclaimer: All characters/ideas belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastics, etc, K.A. Applegate's _EverWorld_, _Fern Gully: the Last Rainforest_,_ Mist of Avalon (the movie)_, _Aladdin_, _Ever After_, _Chocolat_, _The Count of Monte Cristo_, _Enchantress of the Stars_ by Sylvia Louise Engdahl, Cirque De Soliel, **Princess Mononoke**, **The Vision of Escaflowne**, **Rayearth: the OVA**, **Record of Lodoss War**, **Tekken: The Motion Picture**, **Macross Plus**, **Blue Submarine No. 6**, **Pretty Solider Sailor Moon**, **Dragonball Z-GT**, **Babylon Tokyo**, _X-Men: Evolution_, _The Princess Bride_, "Disney's Atlantis", _Sweep_ by Cate Tiernan, _Circle of Magic_ by Tamora Pierce, _The Dragon's Tapestry, The Prism Moon _and_ The Taker's Key _by Martine Bates, _Circle of Three_ by Isobel Bird, _Young Wizards Series_ by Diane Duane, _Lord of the Rings_ by J.R.R. Tolkien, _Hexwood_ by Diana Wynne Jones, _Daughters of the Moon_ by Lynne Ewing, Bibliomania.com, Wiccan.com, Feri.com, _Exodus_ by Julie Bertagna, the movie (2001) _Brotherhood of the Wolf_, _Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers)_, Mel Gibson's _Braveheart_

**~**

Chapter Thirteen

          The moon shone in the inky black sky, creating an eerie yellow glow to the earth. Hermione could feel the pulse of the earth underneath her feet as she, Harry, Ron, Draco, Oliver and Lavender left the Black Clan and moved towards the shoreline. 

          "You know," spoke Ron softly as he faced the darkness in front of them, "We'll make it to the Mystic Lands faster if we split up."

          "That's preposterous!" snapped Draco. "Do you _want_ everyone to be captured? We have a better chance together."

          "We'll slow each other down if we're together," argued Harry, understanding his best friends' thought process. "I think it will be fine."

          Oliver frowned. "I don't like that. Who would go with whom? And how will we contact each other?"

          "We'd use owls, of course," said Ron logically, "And there are bands of elves, gypsies and exiles out there that can help us."

          Hermione shook her brown head. "I don't like that. I don't like the idea at all, and I wouldn't want any harm to come to any of you."

          "It wouldn't be your fault if anything did, Hermione," said Harry, wrapping an arm around her waist as the two of them walked together. Their hips hit whenever they took a step, and Hermione deliciously savored every moment.

          "And where would we all go?" interrupted Draco, coming between Harry and Hermione with a glare at Harry. 

          Hermione watched and smiled inwardly as Harry frowned and puffed his chest out as if ready to shout at Draco, but it was Ron who spoke. 

          "Lavender and I will go back to Talamanca to see if there is anyone there ready to engage into battle. You Hermione, Harry and Oliver will go to the Mystic Lands because you're needed there the most. Draco can go off by himself."

          "Thank you very much, Weasel. That just made my day," sneered Draco, who crossed his arms over his green shirt and rolled his eyes. "However… I am fine with this idea."

          "You are?" asked Hermione, surprised. "Why?"

          "I have some unfinished business," he said slowly, looking at Hermione meaningfully. 

          Harry, Ron, and Oliver sputtered, knowing they shouldn't trust Malfoy for anything. Hermione, however, nodded and the matter was settled. 

          "Do we all agree then?" she asked, looking at everyone in turn. When no one objected, she nodded and sighed. "All right then. Off you go, Ron. Promise me you'll be careful."

          "I will," he agreed, nodding seriously. His sapphire eyes for once were serious and calm, not the usual joyful and energetic he was. 

          Hermione hugged him, and then stood back as Harry clapped a hand on Ron's shoulder in a manly fashion. He whispered something to him, which made Ron grin cheekily – a striking resemblance, Hermione thought, to his older brothers Fred and George.

          Draco had already begun walking away when Hermione noticed and called him to stop for a moment. 

          She caught up with him and stopped just a bit behind, watching. "Are you sure about this, Draco?"

          "Of course, Hermione."

          "You realize that you'll be putting yourself – and Ginny – in danger's way, right?" she continued to prod. 

          Draco turned his head slightly, his hair catching in the glow of the moon, changing his features into a milky white skin tone and his hair as golden as wheat. "I know, Hermione," he repeated, strongly. "And you know that I wouldn't do this unless I knew that it would help you."

          "I know, Draco, I know. I just want to be sure…"

          "That I'm not a traitor?"

          "No. I know you're not." She paused. "I just want you to be safe. If anything would happen"—

          "Nothing will, so stop worrying. Now, go back to Potter. He's missing you already, and glaring at me. Tell him not to worry."

          "I will." Hermione turned and started to go back.

          "Hermione?" Draco called, making Hermione stop. 

          "Yes Draco?"

          He paused, before blurting, "Thank you for believing in me."

          She smiled, before turning and walking back to where Oliver and Harry were waiting for her. There was a lot that needed to be done within the next couple days.

**-**

          Draco walked quickly towards the grove of trees that stood out against the bleak landscape surrounding the Black Clan. He was supposed to have met Ginny there hours ago, but the capture at the Black Clan had taken longer than he had hoped for. 

          Swallowing a lump of fear that was lodged in his throat, he wondered if getting Ginny involved had been the right thing to do. He couldn't very well leave her back in Talamanca, especially now that he looked back and thought about the first conversation they had. Knowing Ginny as he knew her now, Draco was sure that she would have followed him – or tried to – to find Potter. 

          If only she was over that silly crush! He wasn't at all for her. Ginny needed someone who could protect her, and wasn't in love or destined to be with the Enchantress. Ginny needed… well… someone like him, actually. Draco was the perfect example of someone that she deserved, and in all honestly, Draco mused, he needed _her_. She wouldn't tarnish his already blemished reputation, or care about his Dark Mark. She knew him for who he was, and that was why she liked him… as a friend.

          Sighing, Draco stepped into a small clearing, where he saw Ginny huddled around the small fire she had conjured. It seemed that when she wasn't around Hermione, she was able to perform her magick wonderfully. 

          _The Enchantress must intimidate her. Poor Ginny, to be overlooked all the time by Hermione, _understood Draco. Shaking his head, he stood behind her and this brought a smile to his face. She didn't even know he was there, and she continued to hum a tune softly to herself. 

          "Ginny?" he finally asked.

          She gasped and turned, a hand flying to her breast as she clutched something tightly to her. "Draco! I didn't hear you there!"  
          He gave her a smirk. "Of course not. What is it that you have there?"

          Ginny looked down and then back at him. "It's something I was working on while I waited for you." She held it out to him. "It's a necklace… a protection necklace that my mother always used to make for me." 

          Draco took it, and ran a finger over the sweet smelling reeds that she used. She had burnt symbols and letters into the reed in certain places, creating an elaborate design. 

          "Will you wear it for me?" she asked quietly. 

          Draco started, his hand fisting over the necklace. "Are you sure? Do you want me to?"

          "Very much so," continued the shy girl, who was now looking down at the flames. Draco observed her for a bit more before he nodded (unseen by her) and slipped the reed necklace around his neck, tying the strands at the back. He tucked it under the collar of his green shirt and offered his hand to Ginny. 

          "They've started moving. Let's go."

          She stood, and with a flick of his wrist, the flames were snuffed. 

**-**

          Ron wheezed as he nearly tripped over another log. He and Lavender had been traveling towards the West – towards where the Bay of the Night was. There, they would be able to rent a fisherman's boat and travel back towards Talamanca and find people and others who would want to help support the Enchantress. 

          Unfortunately, they were lost. Very lost.

          All around them was mist, clinging to the trees with hanging leaves and moss that obscured the path in front of them, and all around were bogs with weird noises coming from them. 

          "Lavender, do you know where you are going?" questioned Ron, glancing to the young blonde beside him. The young woman furrowed her brow and let her blue eyes glance about the bog. 

          "Umm… I think I lost all sense of direction about two hours ago," she muttered. "I can't even sense anything anymore… but I do get this vibe…"

          Ron shuddered, "Yeah, it's called 'Go home now'!"

**-**

          Draco and Ginny kept a good hundred yards behind Hermione's group, watching as their light bobbed and flickered in the darkness. They watched as they stayed in a tight-knit group, their silhouettes appearing and disappearing from time to time. 

          "Where are they going?" whispered Ginny, shivering slightly as she wrapped her arms around herself. Draco wrapped an arm around her shoulder. 

          "Dunno. I think they're going to the Mystic Lands," he replied, his gray eyes narrowing. "Hermione didn't say – but she knows we're here."

          Ginny shifted uncomfortably. "Me too?"

          "_Especially_ you," answered Draco coolly. "Don't think I know all about your jealousy. I know that you too had a bit of a row a while ago."

          Ginny sighed. "Not really. It was about something that wasn't as important as it first seemed to be."

          "Harry isn't important?" Draco looked pleased at that. 

          Ginny laughed. "Not anymore, Draco. Not anymore, and actually –" She was going to say more when something caught her eye. She moved her hand and hesitantly ran her fingers over Draco's arm. "Draco, why is your mark raised?"

          Glancing down too late, Draco saw Ginny's fingers delicately run over the fleshy mound below his shoulder and trace over the Dark Mark there.  

          "Ginny, _no_!" the heed came too late, as her fingers hit the Dark Mark. Draco felt the familiar tugging in his naval that told him they were being transported somewhere. He closed his eyes and prayed Ginny wasn't tagged along.

          When his eyes opened, he saw that he and Ginny were in the middle of an open field surrounded by Death Eaters starring at him. Voldemort stood in the center of the field near him. 

          "Well, well," he hissed, "What a pleasant surprise. What do we have here?"

          Ginny stood on shaky legs and glared at Voldemort. Draco kept Ginny near him, and used his body as a shield between her and Voldemort. 

          When they didn't say anything, Voldemort nodded. "I see that you chose a different path from your forefathers." Nodding towards Lucius, who was glaring at his son from underneath his cape's hood, Voldemort continued, "A spy… how… intriguing. I hadn't thought that you would be able to turn."

          "It happens," snarled Draco, "deal with it."

          Voldemort's eyes widened. "Really." He then glanced at Ginny, who was staring at him in defiance. "A Weasley. Honestly, Little Malfoy – you could have done better."

          "Maybe I could have," replied Draco haughtily, feeling Ginny stiffen beside him, "But I didn't want to."

          That was enough to cause murmurs to spread throughout the Death Eaters. When Voldemort leered at Ginny, two unknown Death Eaters came forward and picked her up by the arms. 

          "Hey! Put me down! What are you doing? Draco, help!" Ginny screamed, kicking and flailing everything she could, while shouting at the top of her lungs. "Help! Draco!"

          "What are you going to do, now, Little Malfoy?" whispered Voldemort, bending down to speak in Draco's ear as he watched in horror as Ginny was taken away from him. "Who are you going to trust? How are you going to save her? Just what are you going to do to ensure your safety and hers?"

          "Anything," replied the young man, his eyes rooted on the spot where Ginny last stood. The gray had faded to a nondescript cloudy colour, glazed over as if he had nothing worth living anymore. "Whatever you want."

          "Excellent," hissed the villain, "excellent."

**-**

          Something was wrong. Hermione knew it the second she felt the shift in the wind, and the night grow quiet. 

          Harry and Oliver were speaking quietly about something when she placed a hand on each of their shoulders to quiet them. It didn't take long for her to pinpoint the problem.

          Out of nowhere, Death Eaters appeared through the darkness, their small staffs glowing with an eerie white light at the end of them. 

          Harry and Oliver placed Hermione between them as they watched the Death Eaters close in on them, in a circle. 

          "Hello Poppet," one sneered, before they attacked. Hermione, Harry and Oliver never had a chance.

**-**

          "And where is Dumbledore, Little Malfoy?" asked the Dark Lord. "Where is he hiding with his happy little troop?"

          "I don't know," replied the young man sullenly. He had just given away Hermione's secrets and felt like shit. He had betrayed her, after all the faith and trust and leeway she had given him since that day when she told him that they were leaving. She always knew that he was on their side, and never questioned it. But now he was questioning himself. 

          What would have been different if he hadn't told Voldemort where they were? Was he just speeding up the inevitable? He certainly hoped not – but he wanted Ginny back. He really cared for her. 

          _Dammit – I don't just "care" for her,_ he thought darkly, his eyes flashing. _I love her._

          "Fine," spat the warlock, wannabe-sorcerer. "And how about Miss Brown?"

          "Brown?" asked Draco. _Who was that?_

          Voldemort's gaze narrowed. "Lavender Brown, that seer."

          Draco nodded. "Went off with Ron Weasley to the West. Don't know where they are now, but they were going to Talamanca."

          Voldemort nodded at a couple other Death Eaters, and within seconds, there was a popping noise letting Draco know that they had apparated out and were now hunting Lavender and Ron. 

          Draco swallowed the bile that was rising in his throat. He couldn't believe he was doing this. He hung his head in shame, and ignored the prickly feeling that was in the corner of his eyes. 

          Across the room, Severus Snape was watching the unfolding events with carefully masked indifference. 

          He was wondering what Draco was doing at first, spilling all his secrets and made Severus wonder if he picked the wrong young man to be a fellow spy with him. Of course, it was when he began watching his eyes that the true story opened. 

          Draco did not want to reveal the secrets he knew; he just thought that it was going to save him and the Weasley girl that he had unintentionally brought to the revel with him. 

          His gray eyes, when he first arrived in the Death Eaters, were gray – pure steel. Now, as he fought against telling Voldemort the answers he desired, he saw something different. Instead of those steal gray eyes he thought he would encounter Severus saw stormy gray eyes filled with emotions and his own thoughts. His father's voice wasn't in his head anymore, telling him what was right and wrong – and Voldemort wasn't controlling him. 

          Draco Malfoy was going to save himself and that Weasley girl anyway he damn well pleased – even if he was going to do it recklessly. 

          _Well,_ thought Severus with finality, _I might as well go out with a bang when he decides to do it, shaln't I?_

**-**

          Sirius and Remus kept their heads down as they passed through another small, darkened village. They had all been like this, filled with frightened people who didn't trust strangers, thought their next-door neighbor was a Death Eater, and refused to give either Remus or Sirius the time. 

          "This is a lost cause," muttered Sirius darkly. "We'll never find someone to support us and Dumbledore."

          Remus frowned. "They should. He's been protecting them since he was under Clovis's tutelage."

          Sirius snorted. "Try telling that to these people." He jerked his head towards the town center, where it was completely deserted. "They're too scared to come out of their own houses. We can't even protect them if they are doing this!"

          "I know, Padfoot, now calm down." Remus glanced around. "The best thing to do is either make a speech in front of no one, or leave a poster."

          "How about… no?" Sirius muttered, before sighing and giving in. "Fine. Fine… let's leave a bloody poster and get out of here. Dumbledore needs us with him in the frontlines, not here in the Mystic Lands trying to convince people we're not Death Eaters."

          Remus nodded. "Agreed." He took his staff from his side and waved it in the air once, muttering something under his breath, when a parchment appeared on the tavern's wall, with bright colours and _VICTORY _written in bold print across the top with a picture of a Death Eater cloak smashed beneath a Phoenix Order robe. 

          "That should do the trick," said Remus, proud of his work. 

          "Oh yes. The trick called, 'it's going in the rubbish'," snorted Sirius. "Then you take the poster, and dump it in the rubbish. Voila!"

          Remus shook his head. "You're bonkers."

**-**

          Lavender and Ron continued to walk through the bog, not knowing which way they were going. Since they had agreed that they were lost nearly two hours ago, and _got_ lost two hours before that, they hadn't done much talking. 

          So when Lavender let out a tiny, "oh!" Ron was immediately at her side.

          "Lavender? Is something wrong? Are you okay?" He asked, bending near the now-crouching young woman. She was hissing in pain, her eyes clenched tightly together. Her hands wound themselves into her hair, pulling and tugging. 

          She tilted her head back and gave a little scream. She didn't hear Ron's voice calling her name. 

_          Lavender stood in the middle of a large wheat field, her hands brushing the bronze coloured plant. She looked around, and saw in the distance a group of men fighting each other. She shuddered and looked in the opposite direction. _

_          There, a couple feet away from her stood Hermione, in a clearing where there was no wheat. She was wearing her Enchantress clothes, and her hair was blowing across her face in the wind. _

_          She was chanting, but Lavender couldn't hear anything except for the whistle of the wind as it blew over, around and across the field. _

_          She moved to where Hermione stood, watching as the ground beneath her feet began to glow green, before it spread out around her and up in jets of light; the magic was being blow around Hermione by the wind, never straying too far from her. _

_          As she neared the end of her chant, she raised her arms to the sky, where heavy dark storm clouds gathered directly above her. Lightning cackled across one, before a couple bolt struck the ground near the Enchantress. _

_          Lavender fought back a scream, jumping back at lightning appeared a few feet from her. She watched in growing horror and awe as Hermione's arms came down in an arch suddenly, and watched as the lightning began striking the ground in small bolts where Death Eaters were situated. _

_          She saw something with black hair and scarlet robes fly past her – and turned to see Harry going after a group of Death Eaters. He darted this way and that, ducking hexes and curses, before shouting some of his own. _

_          The air was heavy with humidity and electricity as the storm above them continued to rage. No rain had spilled yet, but Lavender thought it would only be a matter of time. _

_          Then, out of nowhere, a loud clap of lightning shook the ground, and made Lavender glance at Harry, who had ignored it. He jumped into a fray of Death Eaters and had the upper hand when the lightning bolt struck the group. _

_          Harry fell to the ground, and did not get back up._

          Lavender's gasp brought her out of the premonition, and back in reality. She felt Ron's arms around her, felt him rocking her in comfort. 

          _But the comfort is not only for myself,_ she realized, catching a stray thought of his, as he didn't shield his mind from her.

          "Are you all right?" he muttered into her hair, holding her close as he spoke. Lavender nodded, not knowing exactly what to say. Instead, Ron continued. "I was so worried… I was calling your name but you didn't answer… you were just crouching, clutching your head, I didn't know what to think… and those noises you made! Gods above! I was never so scared in my whole life!"

          They settled down into a quiet embrace. Finally, Ron asked, "Are they always like that?"

          "No," replied Lavender softly. "They've never been that strong before. That… painful."

          "If I knew something to take the pain away…" offered Ron, letting the sentence hang. 

          "I know," whispered Lavender. She didn't even have to read his mind to know what he was thinking. She wished it too. "I know."

          So, they sat for a couple of minutes, enjoying the feel of holding one another close. In the background, a frog ribbited, and somewhere a bubble popped in the bog. 

          But it was another 'pop' that made Ron raise his head. "What was--?" 

          He never finished his sentence, as in that moment, ten men wearing black robes, and wielding what looked like a twig in their hands surrounded him and Lavender. 

          The one closest to Ron grinned sadistically before his fist swung out and caught Ron on the temple. 

          Then there was blackness. 

**-**

          Draco stood in the shadows of the rock caverns that Voldemort had decided to inhabit in the Enchanted Forest. There was no roof above them, and the moon shone down on the five young people who were brought tied up to Voldemort. 

          Voldemort himself was pacing back in forth in front of prisoners, enjoying the feelings of superiority that was running through his veins. 

          "Welcome my enemies," he hissed in his cool voice, "I trust your journey here was a comfortable one?"

          No one spoke. Voldemort strode forward and grabbed Hermione's chin in his long, white spindly fingers, forcing her to look at him. 

          "Hermione!" three voices shouted in unison, glaring at Voldemort as they did so. 

          "Ah yes," mused aloud Voldemort in a quiet, nostalgic voice. "Hermione… the… Enchantress." The last word was drawn out in disdain.

          Hermione glared at Voldemort but kept her mouth shut. 

          "Now tell me, girl, how _you_ were chosen to be the vessel of this enormous amount of power that you have inside of you? A young girl, no older than seventeen, to carry the burden of the whole world on her shoulders?" the snake-like young man leaned close to Hermione, looking in her eyes for some flicker of fear. He received none. 

          Instead, he released her chin and stood straight again. "I have no patience for the likes of you," he said carelessly, at the other prisoners. He glanced at the Death Eaters who brought them in. "Take them to the dungeons. Make sure they aren't… too comfortable."

          He gave one final grin as he sauntered to his throne, his back to the group who wildly protested and shouted and kicked and cursed the day Voldemort was born. 

          As Hermione began to shriek, he turned and with a sharp voice and small smirk, said, "no – leave her with me. I want to deal with her personally."

          Hermione's eyes widened at the implications, and Harry began to struggle madly against the two Death Eaters who were trying to hold him. 

          "My lord! Potter is trying to fight us!" one gasped as the other eluded a swift kick to his stomach. "What shall we do?"

          Voldemort gave a casual glance at the young man. "I don't know. Why don't you… punish him? Nothing too drastic, mind…"

          And with that said, Harry, Ron, Oliver and Lavender were dragged away from the cavern, past Draco who had stepped into the light to see what Voldemort was doing. 

          "Malfoy!" sneered Harry as he was dragged by. "You _traitor_!"

          Flinching at the name, Draco tried to sink back into the shadows that had been his sanctuary only minutes ago, but now Oliver and Ron were shouting at him. 

          "How could you betray us?"

          "Why? How could you?"

          "You're no better than your father!"  
          "Hermione believed in you! Trusted you!" 

          The last one made Draco physically fall back against the stones, clutching and clawing at it to hold himself up. The air had been taken from his chest, and he took in deep gulps of air to breathe.

          _You did it for them, you did it for them,_ he kept reminding himself, watching as they were hauled away into the darkness. 

          "It was for the best," a ghostly voice floated about him, with a brush of air, as Severus Snape passed the young man. He was heading towards the dungeons. 

          _For the best,_ echoed Draco in his head. _It's always for the best._

**-**

          The dungeons were damp, and had a stale air. There was hardly any light, except for the flickering of candles and torches that lined the wall, making a path towards the cell that Harry, Ron, Lavender and Oliver were going to be placed in.

          They passed moaning captives and screaming prisoners, begging for mercy and driven insane by the tortures they endured. 

          Harry felt sick, and clamped his teeth together, swallowing convulsively. 

          "In you go," muttered one of the guards that were holding Harry. Together, he and his Death Eater partner threw Harry headfirst into the cell, smirking as they head him hit the opposite stonewall. Oliver, Ron, and Lavender tumbled in after him. 

          As the cackling guards left, Ron cursed and asked in a feeble voice, "Are you all right, mate?"

          Harry groaned and rubbed the back of his head, where the wall and he connected. It was sticky and warm with blood, but other that the stars he had seen, Harry knew he was all right. "I'm okay. The rest of you?"

          "Fine."

          "Superb," came Oliver's dry voice. 

          Harry grinned in the dark despite himself. "Glad to hear that, Wood. So… any ideas on how to get out of here?"

          "You can try, but the bars are spelled," came a new voice, one that was familiar but not heard often. 

          Harry turned to the sound, and as his eyes adjusted to the dark, saw the outline of a young woman with reddish hair. "Ginny? What are you doing here?"

          The young woman stepped out from her dark corner, her arms crossed and eyes wary. "I could ask you the same thing."

          "We were captured and brought here," retorted Oliver. "But you – you were in Talamanca. How on earth could they have captured you?"

          "Because I wasn't in Talamanca." The girl bit her lower lip before looking away from the three men and shrewd eyes that belonged to Lavender. 

          "What do you mean?" demanded Harry in a low voice. "Why weren't you in Talamanca, Ginny?"

          "I can't say."

          "The _hell_ you can't!" thundered Ron. "Tell us."

          "Yes," said Oliver, a grin on his face. "Tell."

          Ginny sighed, and turned her back on Ron, Oliver and Harry. Lavender began to chuckle softly. 

          _You don't want to tell them, do you, little Weasel?_ Echoed her voice in Ginny's head. Uncrossing her arms, Ginny glanced over her shoulder and glared at Lavender. 

          _BUGGER OFF!_ She snarled in her mind, setting imaginary walls between her and the Seer.

          "Ginny?" asked Harry. "Why won't you tell us?"

          Ginny turned slightly and addressed Harry. "Because you'll get mad."

          "I doubt that," he replied, his eyes warm and comforting. 

          "Ha!" she snorted, tossing her red hair over her shoulder. "Please… don't ask it of me."

          "Ginny," began Harry in a low, soothing voice as if he were hypnotizing a scared animal. "You can tell us. It's not like we can do anything right now, anyways, in this cell."

          Finally, after a moment of silence, they saw Ginny nod and bow her head in submission. "Fine," she grumbled, before speaking quietly, "Draco and I were transported here."

          "How?" asked Oliver, feeling confused. "Draco was with us, until we split up."

          "He was," she agreed, "But I was following all of you. When Draco broke from the group… well, we met up and his Dark mark burned… and I touched it…"

          She closed her eyes, waiting to hear Ron's explosion of curses and demands, but everything was eerily silent in the dungeons – if you exclude the moans of agony and pain.

          "Why were you with him, Ginny?" asked Ron instead, in a small voice, one that was filled with confusion and hurt. 

          "I can't tell you that." She squeezed her eyes shut tighter, ignoring the burning sensation in her stomach… something that felt much like guilt.

          Sighing, she heard Ron mutter something and settle himself on the floor, next to Lavender. She saw Harry turned and slide against the wall, before sitting on the floor with Oliver next to him. She didn't know what to do or say anymore. 

          Everything was going so wrong…

**-**

          "So, my little Enchantress… what shall we do with you?" asked Voldemort, enjoying Hermione's fidgeting hands. 

          "I don't know. How about letting me and my friends go?" asked Hermione in a very calm voice. Inside, she was quivering in fear, but instead she quirked an eyebrow at Voldemort, showing she was unafraid of him. 

          "I'm afraid I cannot do that," he sneered. 

          "Oh well," shrugged the girl. "So then why don't you tell me why you want me? I'm hardly a consolation prize if you fail against Dumbledore's army."

          "Oh, on the contrary, you _are_," derided Voldemort, taking time to glance down at his spindly fingers and nails. "Do you honestly have any idea of how much power you have in you?"

          "Nope," replied Hermione, hoping to play dumb. Of course she _knew_, she had been training for this day _forever_. She knew her limits and where she got her power and the balance she needed to keep in check – she wasn't just some dumb teenager who thought they knew everything in the world. She knew she didn't know everything, but she hoped she one day could. 

          Sighing, Voldemort sat on his throne with his back straight, but looked like he was completely comfortably in a lounging area. "That's a shame. However, _I_ do know what you can do – and I could use that power more than you'd ever be able to."

          Hermione felt her anger stirring, but closed the lid on it as quickly as she could. If she let her emotions go out of control, Voldemort would sense her control of power and that was one edge she hoped to keep over him. 

          "Really," she drawled. "And what would you use my power for?"

          "Nothing that would interest you," he said dismissively.

          Hermione sighed. "Well, I suppose we're at an impasse then."

          Voldemort regarded her for a couple of seconds, steeping her fingers before agreeing softly. "Yes. It seems we are."

          The two glared at each other, before Voldemort looked away, behind her. "Ah, Avery, Bones. Take her to the dungeons where her friends are. We are done."

          "Yes Milord," the two Death Eaters said, bowing together before leading Hermione away from Voldemort.

          _You'll get yours, Voldemort,_ she thought, glancing over her shoulder and glaring darkly at that man who wanted to rule Gaea. _I won't let you win._

          His eyes bore into her as she was led away.

**-**

          Hermione reached the dungeons without the guards ever having to touch her. She wondered if they were afraid of her, or if it was because she was acting acquiescent. 

          "In here," one said gruffly, shoving her into the now open cell. She stepped in, flinching slightly as the bars clanged shut behind her. She let out a wobbly sigh as they left, and sunk down on the floor. 

          "Hermione?" asked a voice. She glanced up to see someone crawling towards her. As they entered the torchlight, Hermione recognized Harry's ebony hair and emerald eyes. 

          "Harry," she breathed, hugging him close as they reached for each other. "Are you okay?"

          "Are _you_? What did Voldemort want with you?" he asked, planting kisses along her temple, jaw, cheek and eyes. Finally, his lips descended on hers, and they shared a long and passionate kiss before someone coughed behind them. 

          "All right, show's over. Can we think of a way to get out of here, please?" asked Ron, sounding a bit miffed. 

          Hermione laughed, "Sure Ron," before sitting next to Harry, her head resting on his shoulder. 

          "Hermione? Are you sure you're fine?" came neither Harry, Ron, Lavender nor Oliver's voice. Hermione turned, her jaw dropping open. 

          _"Ginny?"_ she gasped. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with Draco?"

          "Well, gee, Hermione, isn't he up there?" the petite red hair smiled, pointing above them to where Voldemort's lair was. 

          "You knew?" choked Harry, glancing at his love. 

          Sheepishly, Hermione nodded. "Draco told me. I knew Ginny was with him… although, he never said _why_."

          She sent a look at Ginny, who blushed scarlet. "I can explain that… but… can you come here, Hermione?"

          Nodding, Hermione left Harry's arms and walked to where Ginny was crouching in the dark, together they sat against a wall and stared into the darkness before them. 

          "I'm sorry," Ginny said suddenly. 

          "Why?"

          "Because the reason Draco and I began to follow you was because I wanted Harry for myself, and Draco said he wanted you," sighed the girl. Hermione glanced at her. 

          "Do you still?"

          "Want Harry?"

          "Yes."

          There was a pause, before Ginny sighed and smiled. "No. I want someone else now."

          Hermione grinned at her friend, before reaching out to grasp her left hand. They twined their fingers together and she squeezed, showing her friend that she understood. 

          "So what happened?" she asked. 

          "I don't know. Something changed… I wanted Draco, not Harry. I began to care for the young man who pretty much kidnapped me," she let out a small laugh. "I bungled things up, I know that Hermione. I don't know how you can consider me a friend still, after what I did… and now we're all here."

          Hermione shrugged. "Everyone makes mistakes, Ginny. Things will always work out in the end." She stopped, thinking of what she was going to say, and let her words come out carefully. "You're still my best friend, no matter what. So the road was a little bit bumpy – I got Harry, and you got Draco, and we're both happy. It worked out, and what's in the past is in the past, where it belongs. We can't change it, but we can build on it."

          Hermione glanced at her friend. "Do you love him?"

          Ginny smiled at Hermione. "I think I do."

          Hermione smiled back. "I'm glad."

**-**

          The group sat in the darkness for a long period of time, before they heard the sound of a Death Eater coming towards their cell. They watched as he approached in the torchlight, with Voldemort behind him. 

          Stopping in front of the cell they were in, Voldemort grinned sadistically. "How cozy." He took in the way Hermione was in Harry's arms, and how close everyone sat around her. 

          "Well, I'm afraid that I must do something I really don't want to do," he sighed in mock-regret. 

          "And what's that, Voldemort?" snarled Harry. "Come to kill us?"

          "Sadly, no," he replied. "I'm letting you go."

          There was a shocked silence. Finally, Ginny gasped, "why?"

          Voldemort laughed. "Why, it gives more fun for the chase. Besides, my Death Eaters will round you up during the battle. I think it'll be more fun if you die that way, don't you?"

          "Not particularly, no," muttered Oliver. 

          The cell bars creaked open, and the occupants blinked before stepping out cautiously. Once they were, the cell disappeared behind them, Voldemort was pointing at a soft light that was off to one side – a light they never noticed until now. 

          "That is the way out, in the middle of the Enchanted Forest," he leered at them, before saying in a soft, deranged voice, "Now run. Run as fast as you can, because the game is only beginning."

**//\\**

**AN**: Okay people, this will be the last update for EDN until July 19 or so. I will be on vacation, so I hope you're all satisfied with this. I have the outline for the next (and last) two chapters ready and will be starting it ASAP. Now that school's out, there will be more time to write! Keep reviewing, and thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! ~ Kneazle [June.26.03]


	15. Enchantress of the Day and Night XIV

Enchantress of the Day and Night

Kneazle

Disclaimer: All characters/ideas belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastics, etc, K.A. Applegate's _EverWorld_, _Fern Gully: the Last Rainforest_,_ Mist of Avalon (the movie)_, _Aladdin_, _Ever After_, _Chocolat_, _The Count of Monte Cristo_, _Enchantress of the Stars_ by Sylvia Louise Engdahl, Cirque De Soliel, **Princess Mononoke**, **The Vision of Escaflowne**, **Rayearth: the OVA**, **Record of Lodoss War**, **Tekken: The Motion Picture**, **Macross Plus**, **Blue Submarine No. 6**, **Pretty Solider Sailor Moon**, **Dragonball Z-GT**, **Babylon Tokyo**, _X-Men: Evolution_, _The Princess Bride_, "Disney's Atlantis", _Sweep_ by Cate Tiernan, _Circle of Magic_ by Tamora Pierce, _The Dragon's Tapestry, The Prism Moon _and_ The Taker's Key _by Martine Bates, _Circle of Three_ by Isobel Bird, _Young Wizards Series_ by Diane Duane, _Lord of the Rings_ by J.R.R. Tolkien, _Hexwood_ by Diana Wynne Jones, _Daughters of the Moon_ by Lynne Ewing, Bibliomania.com, Wiccan.com, Feri.com, _Exodus_ by Julie Bertagna, the movie (2001) _Brotherhood of the Wolf_, _Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers)_, Mel Gibson's _Braveheart_, _X-Men_ + _X-Men 2: X-Men United_

**PS**: If you've got the Evanescence CD, listen to it while reading this chapter. It wrote it all while listening to Evanescence, so there's a big influence as the music changes from track to track. 

Or not! :) 

  


**~**

Chapter Fourteen

          It took the group of teenagers to reach Dumbledore and his army less than half a day. None of them wanted to be caught by Death Eaters so soon after being released. Ginny was despondent, and didn't speak much as they slowly climbed the hill that overlooked the wind-blown field that would serve as the battlefield. 

          "Something wrong?" Hermione asked lightly as she glanced at her friend out of the corner of her eye. She placed her hands on her hips to keep them from shaking. Within the next twenty-four hours, they would be at war with Voldemort in a battle that concerned the whole world. She wondered if this would be the last time she would ever speak to Ginny. 

          "Not really," replied the younger girl. "Just thinking."

          "May I inquire about whom you're thinking of?" a twitch of Hermione's lips gave away who she was thinking of. 

          Ginny sighed solemnly. "I don't want to leave him."

          "I know you don't; I don't want to leave Harry either, but…" She trailed off, watching as Harry glanced questioningly back at her and Ginny, but continued down the hill with Ron, Lavender and Oliver as they had reached the top of the knoll. "We have our places in this world, Gin. My place is as Enchantress, which means I'm going to have to be there in the front lines. I can't be with Harry. I have to settle with worrying about him."

          "What would you do if he died?" Ginny finally asked, quietly. 

          Hermione closed her eyes, trying to ignore the feeling in her stomach as she thought about never seeing Harry again. "A part of me would die, and I would never be able to continue on," she answered truthfully.

          "That's how I feel about Draco," agreed Ginny. She turned to her lifelong friend. Awkwardly, she stepped forward and hugged Hermione. "Be careful out there."

          Hermione hugged her friend back tightly, blinking away tears. "You too, Gin."

**-**

          Ginny and Hermione arrived at the campground just as the sun was reaching its highest position in the sky, lighting the battlefield up in cheerful colours of gold, lush green, and sky blue. 

          _Too beautiful a place to be tainted with blood,_ Hermione sighed, before turning to the large bonfire that had been created to ward of bugs and give off heat. Around it sat groups of people; from young to old; scraggly to fancy-dressed, women to men. None were alike but here together for one purpose: to defeat Voldemort.

          "Hermione, may I have a word?" came a wizened voice beside Hermione's head. Turning slightly, Hermione nodded at Dumbledore, who stood in blue robes that matched his serious eyes. 

           Hermione and Albus walked away from the bonfire for a bit, saying nothing. Albus's hands were held together behind his back as they walked, taking in the last few peaceful moments before chaos ensured. 

          "This will be the final battle, Hermione," he said suddenly. Hermione glanced up at him and nearly stumbled in her gait. 

          "I understand sir."

          Albus glanced at the young Enchantress. "I know you do, my dear. I must stress this though… if we are to lose…"

          "I understand the gravity of this battle, Albus. I know what will happen if we lose. Voldemort will steal my powers and use them wrongly, unleashing them on Gaea. They won't know what hit them and soon will bow under his powers. I can't let that happen, and I swear to you I won't," Hermione said, feeling older than her seventeen years. 

          Albus smiled at Hermione. "I knew I could count on you Hermione. However… there is something I do wish to speak to you of."

          "What is it?" Hermione asked, brushing a stray piece of her brown hair away from her eyes. She tilted her head slightly and heard the whistle of the breeze as it passed by her; the wind was picking up, a storm was brewing. 

          "I do not think that I will make it out of this battle alive, Hermione," Albus said bluntly. At Hermione's startled look he gave a dry chuckle. "Don't look so surprised, Hermione. This is the final battle, and Tom and I have been at it for years and years. He'll want to personally attack me, but I know that you and Harry can continue on when I'm gone."

          "You shouldn't speak like that," Hermione chastised, feeling oddly calm. "You don't know if that will happen or not… and what's this about Harry?"

          "Harry didn't tell you?" Albus questioned, ignoring the first part of her sentence. "Ah… well, Harry is destined, quite like yourself, to be the next Priest. He will take over my duties once I die, Hermione. And as for knowing I will die… well, I have quite a few loyal and accurate Seers at my disposal."

          Hermione snorted. "And you believe that rubbish?" She clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. However, Albus just laughed. 

          "You will understand one day, Hermione."

          Hermione nodded and they continued to make a circuit of the campgrounds before they reached the bonfire again. By this time, more people had arrived and the sky was slowly darkening. Hermione could see other bonfires in the distance that she guessed were Death Eaters. 

          "Be careful out there, Albus," Hermione said quietly as they approached Sirius, Remus, Harry, Ron, and Oliver. 

          Albus took Hermione's hand and patted it as a Grandfather would. "I will try, Hermione. I will try."

          Hermione bit back tears. _Trying sometimes isn't good enough._

**-**

          The embers of the fire had died down a long time ago, and the chill of the spring night had settled into the bones of the Order of the Phoenix, the name that Dumbledore's army had given themselves. After all, no matter the outcome, they would rise again to fight Voldemort until they won. 

          Hermione sat next to Harry in the last few moments before they would move into position. They were holding hands, squeezing none-too-gently, seeing that this could be the last moments they would ever have. 

          "I love you," Hermione whispered, her lips quivering and her face pale. She glanced at Harry and saw his emerald eyes glitter more than they had ever done so. He smiled at her, calmly and reassuringly. 

          "I love you too," he answered, leaning forward to give her one lingering kiss. They broke apart when Sirius bustled by, clapping his hands. 

          "This is it, lads. Let's go!"

          Harry and Hermione stood, glancing at Ron in time to see him give Ginny a goodbye hug. She wouldn't be joining them on the frontlines, but gather opted to stay at the camp and defend it if any Death Eaters tried to come around. She also wanted to help those injured. 

          Lavender had slinked off somewhere in the night, leaving Ron a bit crushed. Hermione had tried to cheer him up. Who knew what that flaky girl thought, anyways?

          "All right, Enchantress?" a Knight asked Hermione as they walked by, two by two. Hermione nodded slowly, expressing the same question to the young man. 

          He gave a roguish wink and answered, "I've been waiting for this for years. I'm more than ready."

          Oliver came last in the line, watching as his friend Cedric led his quadrant into battle. He stood beside Hermione, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be right there with you, okay?"

          Hermione nodded, hugging him. "I'm glad. But don't forget yourself, Ollie."

          "I won't," the young man smiled, before stepping aside to let her lead him towards the field. Hermione nodded, and set her mind into battle mode. It wasn't time for reassurances or worries. It was time for fighting. 

          Hermione, as the Enchantress, was not to be part of the first wave, where Harry, Ron, Seamus and Dean were with Sirius and Remus. She was to stay more off to the side and work her magick where she could be undisturbed. Being stopped in the middle of the spell could be disastrous, for both her and the unlucky person bothering her. 

          She had left her Enchantress dress and put on her old Wycliffe coven outfit; she was once again dressed in pants and crop top, meant for easier fighting. She placed her pentacle on, tucking it under her shirt and patting it for luck. 

          She heard Oliver behind her, his footsteps echoing on the grass as it crunched beneath his boots. His staff was out and ready for use; Hermione could hear the wood hum and throb in time with Oliver's heartbeat, and reek of magick. She smiled to herself. They were more than ready. 

          Hermione watched silently as she saw the four lines that formed one after another. She looked anxiously for Harry, but couldn't find him. Everyone was either wearing red and gold for the Order of the Phoenix, brown for clan member, or the royal blues that Harry and Ron choose for the battle.

          Hermione, though, could easily see Dumbledore. He stood slightly in front of everyone, staring ahead. Looking forward, Hermione spotted the Death Eaters. She nearly gasped in fright. While the Order had a colony of dragons, thanks to Charlie Weasley, and a series of goblins that Bill had somehow managed to persuade to join the battle, Voldemort had gotten nearly every dark creature he could find. 

          Hermione labeled them as she spotted the creatures: giants, trolls, Demetors, werewolves, quintapedes, manticores, and what Hermione thought was a basilisk. She bit her lip in frustration. This certainly made things more difficult, she realized. It would take several skilled people to attack one of these creature and subdue it – and only for a while as well. 

          "We're going to be in for one hell of a fight," muttered Oliver. Apparently, he had been thinking the same thing. 

          "You're saying it," Hermione muttered back. "Although, with several dragons on our side, Charlie should be able to keep most of those creatures away from the battle. It'll be a challenge though."

          "Yes, it will," agreed Oliver, his brown eyes darting from side and side as he mentally calculated. 

          Hermione sighed. This wasn't what she had been thinking for a battle. How could she contribute?

          She would have continued with her thoughts, when a cry broke out from one of the sides. Immediately, she glanced around, trying to find where it originated. 

          "Our side," answered Oliver grimly. "It's started."

          Hermione looked and saw what he meant; a group of clansmen had been attacked with a burning spell of some sort, and were dropping on the ground and rolling.

          Dumbledore raised his arms in the air and then let them drop. The first two lines rushed forward, just as the first two Death Eaters lines moved. Hermione stiffened her spine, and swallowed. 

          "Time to get busy," she chuckled, pushing her emotions away. She smirked as she remembered the way she lifted Draco so long ago in the air and settled him in the water. Well, this was war, and there was a cliff on the far right. Surely the Death Eaters wouldn't mind a swim?

          She closed her eyes and focused on the growing wind. She sensed a storm approaching and figured she could use that to her advantage. Trees in the distance – weeping willows she thought distantly – bent and swayed under the wind she was calling. She opened her eyes and focused on a large group of Death Eaters who were centering on Dumbledore. 

          She balled her fists together and then raised one. Hermione then opened it, and a gust of wind raced across the field, knocking people to the ground as it hit the Death Eaters. They shouted in surprise; it reached Hermione's ears as they were lifted up off the ground. She then gave a quick jerk of her hand to the right and the Death Eaters flew overhead others fighting, soaring as they disappeared off the ledge. 

          Feeling slightly sick, Hermione glanced at Oliver. His staff was off the floor and his eyes were focused on the group she had helped. "It was for the best. Time to think of yourself, Hermione."

          Hermione nodded and then began moving down the hill. It was time to join in the fray.

**-**

          Harry wasn't entirely sure of what happened to the Death Eater's he was fighting. One second they were surrounding him and Albus, and the next they were flying in the air over the cliff. He suspected Hermione had something to do with it, but pushed her to the back of his mind. If he thought of her now, he was doomed. 

          Another Death Eater moved close to him. "Young Potter. Are you going to beg for death like your father did?"

          "My father didn't beg," snarled Harry, rolling his shoulders. "But perhaps you will."

          "Big words for a small boy," hissed the Death Eater in return, before lifting his small piece of wood. Harry had only seen Draco use something like this, and surmised that it was like a staff, only smaller. 

          He raised his own staff, and was preparing to shout a hex, but the Death Eater beat him. Harry's staff landed near the Death Eater's feet, and was effectively crushed under his boot as he stepped on it. 

          Harry felt a spark of anger. His hand was instantly at his left side, where he yanked out a sword he had thought to add to his armor. He then charged forward, letting a small grunt escape him as he and the Death Eater connected. 

          They fell to the ground in a heap, the Death Eater's eyes wide underneath his mask. Harry stood slowly and pulled his sword from the man's body, bringing more blood onto the grass. 

          "Sorry," he said, before taking the man's small staff – wand, he heard Malfoy say once before – and pocketing it. He then turned away and moved towards Ron. 

          He met his friend, and helped him ward off a couple Death Eaters they hit with stunning spells and unfortunately for one, a slit throat. They stood back-to-back, rotating in a circle to achieve maximum coverage. 

          As they fought, Harry found it oddly quiet. Sure, there were shouts of surprise, and anger and the cries of people who were hurt or charging, but other than that, there wasn't anything that overpowered Harry's sense of hearing. 

          His eyes were also slowly adjusting to the light. It seemed to be getting darker, and risking a glance upwards, he saw dark black clouds roll across the sky and blot out the sun. 

          Wind whistled by him, and he heard the distance roar of thunder as it rumbled overtop of the battle. 

          People's faces were growing dark and hard to read now; he had abandoned the wand in favour of his sword, which he was using against his latest attacker's dagger. He hissed in pain as the dagger cut against his left arm, but didn't stop. 

          He swung the heavy metal over his head and down in an arc, effecting lodging his sword in a diagonal cut across the man's chest and where his neck and shoulder connected. 

          The Death Eater fell wordlessly to the ground. Wiping the sweat of his face, Harry turned towards the hill where Hermione was supposed to be. His heart rate doubled and skipped when he saw it empty. 

          _Oh shit,_ he thought, panicking. Looking around the battlefield, he couldn't find her, and began to search through the throng of people.

          When he couldn't find her, he reminded himself that Oliver was with her. Oliver would die before anything happened to Hermione, he told himself. She's in good hands. 

          He hoped to hell that was true.

**-**

          Hermione licked her lips and squatted low in the waist-high wheat. She had been hiding there for a while now with Oliver, concentrating on the outburst of power she would need. This time, she would be hitting a group of Death Eaters searching the wheat field for hidden Phoenix members, like her. 

          "Get ready," she murmured. Oliver nodded, and Hermione placed her hands on the ground, looking up at the rolling clouds. Truthfully, the storm shouldn't have arrived that quickly, but Hermione had called it in her need for lightning. 

          Her long brown hair flowed down her back and tickled her bare skin, but she ignored it. She pushed herself mentally to the clouds and urged them to let their energy go free – she was willing it use it for her purposes. 

          The elemental magick agreed, and soon Oliver was away from Hermione with a shielding charm around him – she was sparkling with energy and cackling as little bolts of lightning bounced off her. 

          Hermione stood and raised her hands to the sky, where the energy she collected went back into the clouds and then bounced off of them; they were directed at the group of Death Eaters that Hermione had targeted… only…

          "FUCK!" she shouted, and Oliver jumped up. 

          "What??"

          "Harry's there!" Hermione cried, watching in horror as the lightning bolt struck the group, sending Death Eaters in all directions. They were scorched and hissing, but Hermione wasn't looking at them. 

          "Hermione, no!" Oliver shouted, but Hermione had dashed forward to check on her soul mate. As she neared the area, she gagged at the smell of burning flesh and burnt grass. She didn't really wish that on anyone, but these Death Eaters weren't leaving much choice. 

          "Harry!" she called, looking for him. Finally pushing wheat stalks away, she found him on his back, burned black in some areas, but nonetheless, breathing. She collapsed on the ground beside him and cradled his head. 

          His eyes cracked open and he coughed. "Well, I supposed I can safely say that I know lightning never strikes the same place twice."

          Hermione gave a choked sob as she gave him a light kiss on the lips. "You fool! You could have died and you're cracking a joke!" 

          Harry forced a grin that turned into a grimace of pain. "Well, I wasn't expecting my love frying me, Hermione." He closed his eyes and let out a small sigh. "It's not that bad, anyways." He then opened them, focusing on her face before moving them behind her. They widened slowly, and Hermione sensed the growing power as it approached. 

          _Voldemort,_ she thought, feeling anger bubble in her. There was no need to hide her powers anymore; he would know what she did with the lightning. She gently placed Harry's head back on the ground and stood, her back still to him. 

          "Be careful and stay here with Oliver," she instructed, seeing Oliver creep up out of the corner of her eye. Harry gave a submissive nod, before closing his eyes again and succumbing to unconsciousness.

          Hermione turned and glared at Voldemort. 

          "Ready?"

          He nodded. "More than ever," he smirked, rolling his robe sleeves up as he spoke. "Are you?"

          "Ditto," she snarled, clenching her hand. They began to move away from the wheat field, and the tall grass where Death Eaters and Dumbledore's army were still fighting, but in smaller numbers now. In fact, Hermione realized, he was directing them towards the cliff. 

          As they squared off against each other, Voldemort surprised Hermione by bowing slightly. Hermione smirked and returned the gesture, arching her back but keeping eye contact. 

          She had picked up Harry's sword where he was dropped it once he landed, and now was clutching it tightly in her right hand. 

          "Are you going to fight me with that, or your powers?" Voldemort sneered, glancing down at the sword. 

          "Why don't you move and we'll find out?" parried Hermione, arching an eyebrow. Then, without warning, Voldemort whipped his wand out and shouted, "_Avada Kedavra!_"

          Hermione reacted quickly and ducked; the curse went sailing over her head. She felt a red haze make its way into her vision, and she blinked it away. Now was no time to lose control. Instead, she urged the earth to mold itself to her liking, and watched in amusement as the ground heaved underneath Voldemort's feet and rolled in a large hump that knocked him off balance. Hermione was there in an instant, shouting spells. 

          _"__Conjunctiva!_" Hermione shouted, before placing her hands on the ground and manipulating the greenery around her to wind itself around Voldemort. He struggled and used fire curses to stop the flow of roots and weeds growing over him. 

          He let out a cry of anger, and finally cut through the plants. "Think you're smart, do you?"

          "Yes," nodded Hermione, feeling confident. 

          "You're nothing," sneered the Dark Lord. "Nothing, you hear me? Nothing like the weakling Dumbledore, who I dealt with; nothing like that fool Diggory who was leading his Knights into battle… you're nothing like them! And you will die like them!"

          Hermione rolled her shoulders back. "You're right, I am nothing. But here's one difference: **_I won't die_**!"

          Voldemort hissed and then as one, they raced towards each other. They hit with a resounding smack! and began to physically punch and kick and hit. Voldemort tried to reach his side to grasp his dagger, but Hermione rolled off and when he did reach and extract it, Hermione kicked it out of his hand. 

          He howled in pain, but stood on his knees and glanced at the woman in front of him. "You will die! I will see it done!" he vowed. 

          "You're going to have a long wait then," said Hermione calmly, before backing a few steps away. She began to gather the rest of the electricity in her body's magical reserve from the lightning, and watched Voldemort. 

          He was standing on his feet now, his face murderous. Hermione thought she was seeing something, but in reality, she realized that Voldemort's features were changing. His eyes were glowing a vibrant red, and his face had darkened. Around him seemed to form a black cloak of negative energy that he seemed to draw upon, the energy that slowly devoured him. 

          His features shifted into a black mass of cloud and vapor that hung in the air. Hermione's fear showed through her face. She had never been prepared for _that_. 

          The thing chuckled, a nasty sound that made the hair on the back of Hermione's neck stand up.

          "Ready to play, Enchantress?" it graveled. 

          "Not really," she squeaked, only to watch in horror as the cloud raced towards her in superhuman speed… and envelope her in its inky blackness.

**-**

          Ginny had her reasons for staying at the camp with a few others. Draco had once told her that Death Eaters, no matter how the battle was going, would attack the camp because that's what they did. So she patiently sat waiting for them to appear and attack. 

          Which, after a couple minutes of the battle starting, happened. But she and the others had been prepared. 

          The warlocks had uttered, "stupefy" and the witches had used their magick to create confusion in their targets which led to the _stupefy_'s hitting their victims easily. Ginny knew that one of these Death Eaters was Draco, so she methodically went through each one and removed their mask. These had many of the warlocks and witches with her gasp in surprise or shake their head in realization. 

          Finally, she found Draco and revived him. His stormy ice eyes blinked open, finally resting on her face. 

          "Are you okay?" she asked, running a hand down his cheek. He slowly smiled. 

          "I am now."

          Ginny smiled back, glancing up to see Tonks, a young woman who had the ability to change her appearance at will, looking at her strangely. "Who is he, Ginny?" she finally asked as she approached. 

          "This is Draco Malfoy," Ginny said softly. "He's a spy."

          Tonks raised an eyebrow. She looked down at Draco, and the way Ginny was looking at him and realized there was a lot more to what she was saying. Addressing Draco, she asked, "Are you willing to take Veritaserum to confirm that?"

          Draco closed his eyes in surrender, and said, "Only if Ginny will be there with me."

          Tonks raised her eyebrow again, but nodded. "Then let's get you off the ground and towards the medical tent."

          She and a few other warlocks that had been nearby helped Draco to his feet and with Ginny helped him into the medical tent. Already, there were a few cases, all of which had been tended to. 

          "It's going to get a lot worse," Draco said grimly. He looked at Tonks. "There's another Death Eater spy out there. His name is Severus Snape. Do you think when it begins to die down; someone can go down there and look for him? He took care of me when I was in the Death Eater camps."

          Tonks glanced behind her, and a young man Ginny knew as Kingsley nodded back. "We'll take care of it," she finally said, and pushed Draco onto an empty bed. He sat there, with Ginny next to him, holding his hand in comfort. 

          Tonks came forward with the crystal bottle. Draco opened his mouth and she placed three drops on his tongue. His eyes immediately gazed over and his body went slack against the headboard of the bed. 

          "What's your name?" Tonks asked. 

          "Draco Kiran Malfoy," Draco replied, in a monotonous voice. 

          "Are you a Death Eater?"

          "Yes."

          "Are you a spy against Voldemort?"

          "Yes."

          Tonks smiled. She glanced at Ginny who sagged in obvious relief and leaned her head against Draco's shoulder, hoping he'd feel it. "Do you love Ginny Weasley?" Tonks finally asked, a devious smile on her lips. 

          Ginny's head shot up and her heart skipped a couple beats. 

          There was s pregnant pause, until Draco opened his mouth. "Yes," he whispered, and the Veritaserum's effect disappeared. 

          Tonks smiled at looked at the two young adults in front of her. "You'll do fine, Draco," she said as he looked up at her, his eyes now a stormy silver. Rolling her eyes, she shouted over her shoulder as she left the tent, "Just watch that arrogance of yours. It's deadly."

          Ginny squeezed Draco's hand affectionately, and brought his attention back to her. "Do you remember everything Tonks asked you?"

          "Yes," Draco said warily. "Why?"

          Ginny smiled. "Because I love you too." And with that, she leaned forward and smartly kissed Draco Malfoy on the lips, content to stay with him forever, because now there was nothing to worry about.

**-**

          Harry and Oliver had been watching Voldemort and Hermione fight up until the point where Volde-thingy had devoured Hermione. 

          Harry had cried out, and Oliver had jumped to his feet, unsure of what to do. Disobey a direct order from Hermione or go to help her? Both he had sworn to do…

          Harry struggled to sit up, hissing in pain from his burns, and watched in horror as the black cloak surrounded itself and turned inside out so nothing could be seen from the inside of what was going on. 

          "I can't stand this!" He cried out, glancing at Oliver to see the same pained expression on his face. "What are we going to do?"

          Oliver looked at Harry. "You can't do anything," he whispered in a choked voice. "Hermione needs to get herself out there alone."

          Harry closed his eyes in defeat and nodded, gritting his teeth to stop the tears from leaking out. He couldn't lose the one thing in his life he loved more than anything. He just couldn't. 

          There was a terrible moaning that started low in the air, and moved in a shrill scream. Harry's eyes opened to watch as the black figure thinned out and Voldemort's vapor face appeared. 

          Distorted, his mouth was open wide in moaning pain, and his eyes clenched tightly closed. 

          It was then that he saw the tiny start of green creeping out from underneath the black creature's base, and knew that Hermione was still okay. Slowly, more green appeared and began to take the shape of flowers and roots and branches, surrounded Voldemort's inky figure and binding it tightly in the cage it was creating – but Hermione was still in it. 

          "Hermione!" shouted Oliver. "Get out of there!"

          "Hermione!" yelled Harry as loud as he could, but still there was no change. They watched as Voldemort was slowly covered from head to toe in greenery, and his moans slowly stopped. 

          The storm clouds above them slowly thinned out and small beams of light hit the ground. The wind died down until it disappeared completely, and suddenly, a cheer erupted from the Phoenix members. 

          They had won, but at a price. 

          Harry bit back a shaky sigh and slowly, with Oliver's help, began to stand. They walked over to the tall tree that now held both Hermione and Voldemort, and looked up at it in awe and horror. 

          Harry bowed his head and let his grief wash over him as he relived the last moments of seeing his love before Voldemort got to her. 

          "Oh my God…" Oliver's voice breathed out, and Harry lifted his head. There, at the base of the tree, was a small opening. 

          And crawling out of it with dirt stains all over her face and scratches that ran from face to arm was Hermione. 

          "Hermione!" shouted Harry as he raced forward, ignoring his pain. He collapsed on the ground near her, and gathered Hermione into his arms. He wrapped her tightly in his embrace and fell back onto his haunches and then butt as he cradled his love near him. 

          "I thought I lost you!" he choked out. 

          "You almost did," replied the shaken woman, before his placed kisses along his jaw. 

          "Don't ever do that again!" he whispered, shaking in fear and relief. His hands ran up and down her back, before he pulled away long enough to look at her. 

          He rubbed at a small spot of dirt and smiled tenderly. He placed his hand against her cheek and pulled her close to him. 

          And then they kissed.

**~**

**AN**: Well. That was an interesting "ending" to EDN, wasn't it? The end was totally _Fern Gully_ right there, but hey! I didn't exactly know how to write the final battle scene and having it **not** told was rather different. Anyways. Never fear, there is still the epilogue to go, which should be up rather soon. It's not that long. 

**Bookworm111**: My ideas? Really, I get them from the books I read and movies. And sometimes my dad, who comes up with these really stupid, stupid ideas that I warp into something dark and angst-y from listening to gothic rock. :) 

**MaRiAn the LiBrArIaN**: Dear God, I made Voldie more frightening than in OotP? Really. I am surprised. I actually found Voldie in OotP to be pretty plain and boring, and well… not evil at all. I think I believe him to be a Jafar (Aladdin) type guy. Or the stereotypical, "Oh, I am going to kill you but first I am going to tell you my plans and then you can beat me and escape" villain. Or an "Mwahaha" villain. 

**Miya Tomo**: I'm glad you like the story! And no, as you can see, Hermione and Harry do not die. Pretty much, if a character died in the actual cannon, I kill them off. But I love Sirius too much to do that, so he lives. After all, he's sexilicious; it would be a scandal to kill him!

**Stoneheart**: The one who never fails to leave a review! And a nice lengthy one at that – one which I enjoyed reading when I was in Paris and made me laugh out loud (just because I love how you write your reviews… the Parisians were looking at me strangely). Yeah… well… a nice bunch of plot twists. I guess you'll have to see what happens in the epilogue to see what Draco says to Hermione, or what Hermione says to Oliver – and if Lavender returns to Ron, and if Ginny will be miffed that she isn't everything Draco wants… but maybe is? :-D Thanks for the review as usual!

**SilverDagger**: Trust me… the history of any world is confusing. :-D But you're right, mine is pretty confusing and crazy and doesn't make sense. Any questions, just feel free to leave them in a review with your email or send me one and I'll do my best to clear it up for you. Er… hopefully.

**Keeper of the Truth**: Thank you! I hope you're impressed later on too!

**Silver Spell**: If you like AUs, you'll pretty much like most of my stories (and if you like my writing style). That's all I usually write and read, because it's just so much more fun than the usual love triangles, same Voldemort-is-taking-over-the-world stories, or Hermione's got a new power, or Harry's got a twin. I like being different!

**Elyse**: Thanks. I know, a good number of mistakes. Here's the secret: I ain't got a beta. **Blushes shamefully** I think that once the story is done I'm going to revamp it and reedit it to make it better. Thanks for your kind words, though! And yes, "Ever After" was pretty good – even if I don't like Drew Barrymoore that much. PS: LOVE your name.

**Anonymous**: Thank you!

**Paige Woods**: Reread? And yes, Hermione is very powerful. Too powerful, actually. I think I made her a God. Pooey… I was hoping from something less flashy. Can't have her stealing all of the HP glory, now, can she? :-)

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR REVIEWING… THE EPILOGUE IS ALL THAT REMAINS… ARE YOU READY FOR "EDN" TO END?


	16. Enchantress of the Day and Night Epilogu...

Enchantress of the Day and Night

Kneazle

Disclaimer: All characters/ideas belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastics, etc, K.A. Applegate's _EverWorld_, _Fern Gully: the Last Rainforest_,_ Mist of Avalon (the movie)_, _Aladdin_, _Ever After_, _Chocolat_, _The Count of Monte Cristo_, _Enchantress of the Stars_ by Sylvia Louise Engdahl, Cirque De Soliel, **Princess Mononoke**, **The Vision of Escaflowne**, **Rayearth: the OVA**, **Record of Lodoss War**, **Tekken: The Motion Picture**, **Macross Plus**, **Blue Submarine No. 6**, **Pretty Solider Sailor Moon**, **Dragonball Z-GT**, **Babylon Tokyo**, _X-Men: Evolution_, _The Princess Bride_, "Disney's Atlantis", _Sweep_ by Cate Tiernan, _Circle of Magic_ by Tamora Pierce, _The Dragon's Tapestry, The Prism Moon _and_ The Taker's Key _by Martine Bates, _Circle of Three_ by Isobel Bird, _Young Wizards Series_ by Diane Duane, _Lord of the Rings_ by J.R.R. Tolkien, _Hexwood_ by Diana Wynne Jones, _Daughters of the Moon_ by Lynne Ewing, Bibliomania.com, Wiccan.com, Feri.com, _Exodus_ by Julie Bertagna, the movie (2001) _Brotherhood of the Wolf_, _Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers)_, Mel Gibson's _Braveheart_

  


**~**

Epilogue

            __

_It's been two years now. I'm back at Castle Lorien, once again studying to increase my magical abilities, and tutelage under Fleur and Croaker. Unfortunately, Bode – my other watcher, remember him? – Was killed in battle since he was secret Death Eater. He was against Dumbledore; it seems, for quite some time. _

_          Dumbledore… Albus Dumbledore. Now, he was an amazing man. You'll notice that I used past tense. Albus was right, you see… he knew he was going to die in the final battle, and it happened. I learned later from Sirius and Remus that he had been up against Voldemort near the beginning of the battle when he was injured with a searing hex or something of that likeness. The loss of blood was what killed him; he was too far away to be apparated or transported to the camp, which, at that time was under attack as well. However, he had begged Remus (who was there) to leave him be, and continued fighting until he lost his strength to continue. I will always remember that man. That wonderful, amazing man._

_          As for the Death Eaters… well… Once I had defeated Voldemort, they noticed, and tried to flee. They didn't get very far, as Charlie's dragons had managed to cut most of them off. The creatures fled (with the exception of the werewolves and Demetors), which is fine. We weren't after them anyways._

_          The Death Eaters were sent to the Avecaut Mountains northwest of here. It's freezing there, Fleur had informed me. Nothing but barren wasteland of snow and white-capped mountains as far as the eye can see. And when and if you manage to climb and scale the mountains, you reach a plain empty dust field where nothing grows. A horrible place to be exiled to, with wards and full supervision. The Death Eaters will never leave that island. _

_          I haven't seen Ginny or heard of her since the last battle. She and Draco I believe are spending some time together in the Mystic Lands. However, I'm not alone. Oliver's with me, and we've been getting to know each other better. I know considered him one of my best friends, but think it's not fair to keep him cooped up here in Lorien when he should rightfully be in charge of his Knights back on Talamanca with the death of Cedric. Maybe I can finally convince him, wish me luck. _

_          Sirius and Remus were told by Kingsley to find Severus Snape, and to take care of him. Of course with the rivalry between Sirius and Severus, it was quite hard to get him to go with them back to the camp to be healed, but finally Remus threatened him with tying him up and Severus went. I heard from Remus that Severus is now in charge of the Talamanca clan with Sirius and Remus as his backup. Although the role of leader of the Talamancaian Clan is rightfully Harry's as heir, Harry hasn't set foot in Talamanca since the battle._

_          In fact, I only get occasional letters from Dean and Seamus telling me what Harry and Ron are up to. Most of it is in short, cryptic letters, and more filled with fluff and sap of what they're doing now – training to be Knights of their own, under Ryan's care. Ryan told me that they're doing wonderfully and will be an asset to the Knights in hunting down rogue Days and Nights. They have been getting rowdy lately and I feel that it is high time they're brought down a couple notches. _

_          Days and Nights, from history lessons, were loyal to their genders. All they would do was torture and use the opposite sex as much as they could before killing them – a total discrimination against sexes. Honestly, there was no law stating what goes and what doesn't. And the way they were treated, like cattle! I had to do something. _

_          Maybe that's what my prophecy meant all those years ago – that I would be the long to change the world. Really, I don't like all that pressure but it's not like I can do anything to stop it. It's my destiny, after all. Written in the stars. _

_          It's best I finish this off with my normal musing: Where are you Harry? When are you coming back to me?_

_          I love you, _

_Forever… Hermione_

**-**

          Harry leaned back on his haunches and raised his right arm to swipe at his forehead. Sweat poured down his back and brow, as the summer sun beat mercilessly down on him and the other men on the rooftop of the inn they were fixing. 

          Being Priest usually meant that he would just hail power over his fellow men from Talamanca, but young Harry wasn't satisfied with that, especially after the destruction the Death Eaters had left in their wake before the final battle. So, he dragged Ron off to the countryside, where they began their long task of fixing and helping the towns and cities return to their previous glory and beauty. 

          He hadn't spoken to Hermione, which was weighing heavily on him. Harry really missed her, and every night dreamt about her and what he would say when he returned to her at Lorien Castle. He still loved her with all his heart and would continue to do so, even if she rejected him… but he doubted she would. They were destined to be together. 

          Sighing, he glanced down, put his hammer on the roof, and crossed his arms by the hem of his shirt. He grabbed the material and yanked it over his head, before picking the hammer up and starting to smash the iron nails into their place on the roof. He had been working on the inn for two days now, and it was almost done – in fact, they would probably be done by dinner that night. 

          "Oi, Harry!" Ron's voice called from down below.

          Harry turned and glanced over his bare shoulder at his tall, gangly redheaded friend. "What is it, Ron?" he called down. 

          Two stories below, Ron squinted against the sun. "Come and see who I just met!"

          Harry placed the hammer down (grabbed his shirt, too) and stood on the roof, nodding at some of the workers that were there with him as he passed them on his way to the ladder. He climbed down it backwards; ignoring the appraising looks some of women were giving him.

          He turned and faced Ron when his feet touched the bottom. "What is it?" he repeated. 

          Ron grinned boyishly, and turned his body to the left. Behind him was someone Harry hadn't seen for a couple years. 

          "Lavender Brown," he smiled, "Where have you been hiding since the final battle?"

          "Here and there," she replied in a misty voice. "Lately, though, I've been here. I saw that you and Ron would be coming here to help rebuild the Mystic Lands."

          "Saw, huh?" grinned Harry, inwardly thinking of Hermione and how she'd snort unladylike and think, _what rubbish!_

          "Oh yes," a small smile crept on Lavender's face. "I see you are well."

          Harry nodded. "Yes. And you?"

          "Perfect," she replied, but wasn't looking at him when she said this; she was looking at Ron. Ron's ears flushed red and then traveled to his neck. He raised a hand and rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat. 

          "So… eh… Harry. When are we leaving to go back to Talamanca?" asked Ron. "We're pretty much done here."

          Harry nodded, murmuring an agreement. "We're done, yes… but I don't think I'll be going back to Talamanca just yet, Ron."

          "No?" Ron asked, frowning. Then, the frown cleared. "Ah. I see."

          Harry offered a small smile. Glancing back at Lavender, he spoke his goodbyes. "If you'll excuse me, Lavender," he said, raising her hand and kissing the knuckles. "Goodbye."

          "Goodbye Harry, " the young Seer replied, smiling. "We'll see each other again, I'm sure of it."

          He smiled back, and turned to his best friend. "In due time, Ron," he laughed at his friend's expression of sadness and smug content whenever he looked from Harry to Lavender. "Take care while I'm gone, and don't argue with Severus too much… I'll see you again soon."

          Ron nodded, grinning as he pulled his friend into a hug that involved clapping Harry's back. "Take care. Give Hermione my love."

          "Not at all!" joked the emerald-eyed teenager, picking his shirt up and beginning to head to the inn, to pack up his things. 

**-**

He appeared in the doorway of the Entrance Hall at Castle Lorien, his shadow spreading across the marble floor with the late sun falling from the sky behind him. Hermione shielded her eyes from the glare, wondering who had appeared at Castle Lorien without her knowing, or sensing.

"Hello Hermione," the young man spoke.

Eyes widening, Hermione took a hesitant step forward. "H-Harry? Is that you?"

The young man stepped into the foyer of the Castle, and Hermione could begin to see how the time had fared on her lover. A scar ran down his chin, and his tall-tale lightning bolt scar was faded into a white line on his forehead; his ebony hair was still as messy as ever, and his clothes were covered in mud. But his eyes... Hermione could feel herself melting as she looked into them. 

His gorgeous emerald eyes bore into hers, drowning in the pools of jade.

They gravitated towards each other, clutching their forearms as Hermione rested her forehead on Harry's chest. "Where were you, love?"

"I was abroad, Hermione – helping the villages destroyed in the Battle regain the life that they used to have," murmured back Harry, "I've missed you so."

"And I you," replied the young woman, lifting her head. "It's been too long, Harry."

"I know." 

"Come... there's so much to tell..." she whispered, pulling him slightly as they moved towards the great stairs that led to the upper floors. 

Harry allowed himself to be pulled along, smiling softly down at the woman of his dreams, the Enchantress, who ruled over both the Day and the Night — the living Goddess of Gaea. 

As Hermione drew them towards her bedroom door, Harry cut his thoughts short. There was time to discuss the world later on. For now, he was content with being with Hermione, for the next couple of days, before reality caught up to them. And when it did, he would tell her what was on his mind, and they would discuss Gaea and what still needed to be built back up. Hermione turned and looked at Harry, whose eyes were dark and troubled. "What's on your mind, Harry?"

"Voldemort," sighed Harry. "I know that he is defeated, but... I can't help but think that he's thinking of some way to regain power, just waiting for the right time to attack again."

"One day, he will be back," agreed Hermione. "But… I don't think during our lifetime, Harry. There will be time later to wonder about Voldemort – but right now, all I'm wondering about is if you want to go to bed or not?"

Harry grinned down at Hermione's mousy head. "Luv, I'm not at all tired, but the bed sounds like a good idea."

Hermione laughed, and pulled Harry into her bedroom. The door slammed shut behind them.

One part of their life had ended, and another had started. One day, Voldemort would return and try again to take control of the Mystic Land's magick, and one day, there might even be a larger battle than the one that they had been through. However, the world was at peace, and there had been justice. For now, all was quiet, and all was well – like it should be.

**~**

THE END

**~**

**[July.23.03]**

The end of "Enchantress…". Wow, I don't think I'd ever have seen it this far – I remember when I wanted to stop writing it, because I didn't think it was going anywhere! : -D Thank you to everyone who reviewed faithfully to the story, to the ones who just found it, and to you who will find it in the future. You make my day.

As for a sequel… well, I'm not sure. Stoneheart may have given me a nice idea… and I think I may be able to write one… but another long-length EDN story? We'll have to see! Right now, however, I won't be writing a sequel, so don't ask for one. You'll know when it's out I guarantee it! ; -D

For news or updates, keep checking my bio on FFnet, my LJ (www.livejournal.com/users/kneazle), or my Yahoo!Group, Kneazled (). 

Take care all – Kneazle


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